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Rep. Jordan Hints at Fallback Defense in Fox Interview

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a key member of the group, walk through Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. With President Donald Trump wanting a legislative solution to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Meadows has said he will put together a working group to craft a conservative immigration plan. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a key member of the group, walk through Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017... Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a key member of the group, walk through Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. With President Donald Trump wanting a legislative solution to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Meadows has said he will put together a working group to craft a conservative immigration plan. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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July 6, 2018 7:14 p.m.
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R), hit with multiple accusations that he knew about but failed to take action against a sexual abuser, just gave a hyper-aggressive interview to Fox News’ Bret Baier. First, this wasn’t your standard Hannity/Tucker-style Fox interview. Baier wasn’t antagonistic but he was deliberate and focused and pressed Jordan on the key points. Jordan attacked his accusers, particularly the first one who came forward, Mike DiSabato. But what was most revealing is that Jordan repeatedly fell back on the distinction between ‘locker room talk’ and formal accusations. “Conversations in a locker room are a lot different than allegations of abuse or reported abuse to us,” Jordan told Baier.

This seemed to me as much as an admission since the kind of ‘everybody knew’ locker room talk is exactly what Jordan’s accusers say happened. Baier focused in on this and asked Jordan whether he heard things in locker room conversations, even things that may have not seemed like abuse twenty years ago but do today.

Jordan denied it but then repeatedly came back to the same ‘locker room talk’/formal accusation distinction.

Here are some key video clips. First the claims of a conspiracy against him …

And making the distinction between ‘locker room talk’ and formal accusations.

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