With Jim Jordan as leader, House Republicans signal they’re ready to fight

November 12, 2026 / 6:00 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — Former House Speaker John Boehner once described Rep. Jim Jordan, the next House Republican leader, as a political "terrorist."

"I just never saw a guy who spent more time tearing things apart, never building anything, never putting anything together," the former GOP leader told CBS News in 2021.

On Tuesday, House Republicans selected Jordan to lead the party in the next Congress, a significant shakeup in the party's leadership that signaled they're ready for a fight after losing more than 40 seats in the midterm elections.

Jordan — who was a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which routinely makes legislating difficult for GOP leaders — built his reputation confronting Democrats in combative hearings as the top Republican on the powerful House Judiciary Committee. There, the Ohio Republican defended President Trump against the first impeachment inquiry, which centered on the president's conduct toward Ukraine.

"Jim's a fighter," said GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York, who sees Jordan, a former college wrestling coach, as someone who can unite the various factions in the party. "I think a lot of the reasons why we couldn't get more…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/