As I write this column, it has been more than two weeks, and the House of Representatives still doesn’t have a speaker.
Even in times of peace and stability, this would be a troubling development inside a political body meant to, you know, solve problems. But these aren’t times of peace or stability.
Hamas’ barbaric massacre of hundreds of Jews in Israel not only triggered Israeli retaliation in Gaza, but threatens to open up new proxy wars with Iran, Syria, Russia and Hezbollah.
The slaughter and hostage-taking of Israelis, Americans and other foreign nationals by Hamas also unleashed a wave of antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment here at home, not to mention new terror threats against the U.S. and other Western nations.
If that weren’t bad enough, Congress has less than a month to figure out how to fund the government and avoid another looming shutdown that could threaten the U.S. economy.
Amid all of this, the GOP clown show only seems to be getting worse, not better.
Jim Jordan has failed to clinch the speakership after Steve Scalise dropped out of the running last week, after Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the speaker’s office on Oct. 3 by just eight Republicans and all the Democrats.
As for a path forward, former Rep. Trey Gowdy put it in stark terms on Fox: “They’re trying couples counseling for people who want to kill each other.”
Gowdy also surmised that the Republican votes against Jordan were retribution for what he called “a drive-by shooting orchestrated by a small group of people” against McCarthy.
“I don’t think this is about Jimmy,” he said of Jordan. “It is about his supporters.”
And they seem to be playing dirty.
Rep. Don Bacon, who ultimately voted against Jordan, says his wife received multiple anonymous emails and texts warning her husband to support the Ohio congressman.
“Why is your husband causing chaos by not supporting Jim Jordan? I thought he was a team player.” After replying, “Who is this?” the next text was ominous: “Your husband will not hold any political office ever again.”
The ugly threats don’t stop there. Some right-wing media personalities are throwing their own wrenches into the already-dysfunctional process.
GOP dysfunction in the Senate
Fox host Sean Hannity has been publicly and privately pressuring Republicans to back Jordan.
And one of his producers even sent an email to uncommitted members, demanding to know why they weren’t supporting Jordan:
“Sources tell Hannity that Rep xxxx is not supporting Rep. Jim Jordan for Speaker. Can you please let me know if this is accurate? And, if true, Hannity would like to know why during a war breaking out between Israel and Hamas, with the war in Ukraine, with the wide open borders, with a budget that’s unfinished why would Rep xxxx be against Rep Jim Jordan for Speaker? Please let us know when Rep xxxx plans on opening The People’s House so work can be done.”
Steve Bannon also used his “War Room” podcast to demand Jordan support, blasting holdout Rep. Steve Womack’s congressional phone number on the air.
Lest you think the dysfunction is limited to the House, over in the Senate, Republicans are refusing to do another one of their jobs — confirm nominees.
Despite the myriad foreign policy and national security implications, Tommy Tuberville is still blocking all Defense Department nominations, including high-ranking military nominations, over a military abortion policy. J.D. Vance put a hold on all Justice Department nominees, in retribution for the DOJ’s indictment of Donald Trump. Josh Hawley is holding up Energy Department nominees, while Chuck Grassley is holding up a nominee at the Veterans Affairs department.
There’s only one conclusion to draw from all of this: the right is broken. It is no longer a useful check on the left, nor is it a functioning force for conservative policy or principles.
As a party, the GOP has become an ineffectual, bumbling, self-owning sell-out that keeps losing elections, policy battles, and political fights.
As a governing body, Republicans can’t govern themselves let alone the country. Lawmakers prefer to punish their enemies, even inside the house, rather than solve problems.
And as a platform, right-wing media has only become more conspiratorial and self-destructive, allowing demagogues and quacks to lead it down unserious rabbit holes and into billion-dollar lawsuits.
For Trump, who desperately wants these to keep these “good vibes” going, the chaos and dysfunction are a perfect foil for his own legal battles, and help obfuscate the fact that much of this was his doing. He effectively broke the right so that he could transcend it.
For America, we’re all watching what it looks like when a political party is in its final throes of usefulness and relevance. RIP.
S.E. Cupp is the host of “S.E. Cupp Unfiltered” on CNN.
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