OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade was caught on a “hot mic” on Tuesday chastising a House Republican for voting against Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
During a segment on Fox News, Kilmeade was weighing in on how Jordan’s bid for the position of House speaker was unsuccessful as he faced defeat in the first round of voting. This outcome was a result of 20 Republicans aligning with all Democrats to oppose his candidacy.
Kilmeade was inadvertently heard referring to Rep. Don Bacon as a “dumbass” subsequent to the Nebraska Republican’s decision to cast his vote in favor of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for the position of Speaker — not Jordan.
During a roll call vote, as the House Clerk announced the names of lawmakers, Bacon expressed his dissent by responding “McCarthy,” which was one of several protest votes from the GOP against Jordan.
During the live broadcast of the House floor vote on Fox News, Kilmeade was overheard uttering the term “dumba**.”
McCarthy has decided not to pursue the position of Speaker subsequent to the body’s vote earlier this month, which resulted in his removal from the post. However, several Republicans did mention his name during the proceedings.
In addition, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who briefly held the party’s nomination last week, was also successful in garnering support from GOP members. However, he subsequently withdrew his candidacy upon realizing that he lacked the necessary votes to secure the position of House Speaker.
At present, Jordan is encountering a similar predicament, albeit subject to potential alterations as voting preferences among members evolve in subsequent ballots.
WATCH:
Brian Kilmeade calls Don Bacon a “Dumba**” on a hot mic LIVE on Fox after he cast a vote for McCarthy for Speaker.
Kevin McCarthy has endorsed Jim Jordan for Speaker.
I think it’s safe to say Kilmeade was acting as the voice of millions of Americans. pic.twitter.com/OnOpTdVvHm
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 17, 2023
Ohio Republican Jim Jordan has officially been elected as the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The House voted on Tuesday afternoon to elect Jordan as speaker.
On Monday, Jordan was still working to secure the final few votes needed to become the next Speaker after a key Republican who previously said he would not offer support changed his mind over the weekend.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) indicated last week that he wouldn’t support Jordan under any circumstances, according to local media reports, but he said he changed his mind after having a number of thoughtful conversations with the Ohio Republican.
As of Monday, however, reports indicated that Jordan is still around 15 to 19 votes short of the 217 needed to take the gavel. A vote is being scheduled for Tuesday, though Jordan said early Monday he believes the chamber will elect a Speaker during that crucial vote.
However, there are other efforts afoot to deny Jordan the speakership, Newsmax reported:
On Saturday, four centrist Democrats in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus — Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Ed Case of Hawaii, Susie Lee of Nevada, and Jared Golden of Maine — wrote a letter to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., saying they would back him as temporary speaker in 15-day increments.
Under their proposal, the House would be able to proceed on such measures as aid to Israel and funding the federal government after the continuing resolution runs out next month.
Such “coalition speakers” have been executed in several state legislatures over the past half-century, among them Connecticut, California, and New Jersey.
But most Republicans dismissed that idea, Newsmax added.
And support from Rogers, who is seen as closer to a moderate, is key.
“@Jim_Jordan and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days. We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill,” Rogers began in a post to the X platform.
“As a result, I have decided to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House on the floor,” he continued. “Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to. Together, our Republican majority will be stronger to fight Joe Biden’s reckless agenda for America.”
