CNN’s Jake Tapper accused the House Republicans of looking “clownish” over its failure to elect a speaker during a Sunday interview with Republican Ohio Rep. Mike Turner.
The House casted three ballots this week with the hopes of electing Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to become the 56th Speaker of the House. A secret ballot voted Jordan out of the speaker’s race after he failed to garner the necessary majority threshold of 214 votes after the third vote Friday.
“I hope you don’t take this personally, but, do you guys have any idea how clownish you look?” Tapper asked Turner.
“Well, you know Jake, I’m very fond of saying that Congress is a lot like high school, but even more so,” Turner replied. “So, hopefully we’ll get past this and I’ve certainly been part of the governing majority and I’m gonna stay part of that and look forward to those who are on the fringes hopefully coming together so that we can get a speaker.”
Every House Democrat and eight Republicans vacated the speaker’s chair after Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz forced a floor vote on the matter in early October. Gaetz’s motion to vacate ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from leadership, and has left the House scrambling to elect a new speaker. (RELATED: ‘I’m Against Bud Light’: Gaetz Slams ‘Speaker-Light’ Strategy Of Empowering McHenry)
Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican congressman from Minnesota, announced his bid for speaker Friday and received the endorsement of McCarthy. Former President Donald Trump has reportedly refused to endorse Emmer due to his reported lack of support for the former president.
Several House Republicans told the Daily Caller Thursday that over two dozen members of their party voted against Jordan to spite Gaetz, who supported Jordan after leading the process to oust McCarthy. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise initially received the nomination before Jordan, but immediately dropped out and called for the party to “come together.”
The majority of House Republicans have condemned the vacated seat and have expressed support for electing a speaker in the near future. Gaetz, Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana and Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas were among many in their party who opposed electing Republican North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry to be the temporary speaker until January 3.