President Donald Trump, supposed master dealmaker, is trying to hammer out an agreement between majority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), both of whom are jockeying for the minority leadership mantle at Wednesday’s vote.
According to a Wednesday Politico report, Trump wants the two to strike a deal, possibly that would seat Jordan, an ardent Trump defender, as lead Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, a soon-to-be Democratic-led body that Trump fears will aggressively investigate him.
Unfortunately for Trump, McCarthy lacks the power to unilaterally stuff Jordan into the seat and enjoy an uncontested leadership run. That authority reportedly lies with the Republican Steering Committee, which is composed of members who don’t particularly like Jordan or his far-right positions.
The minority leadership vote is set for Wednesday afternoon, when McCarthy is expected to win despite Jordan’s attempts to derail him.
