This is going swimmingly. The Fox News forum is now off after Jordan, Scalise, and Hern—who isn’t even an official candidate yet—backed out.
Ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy has accomplished what Rep. Matt Gaetz, co-conspirator Steve Bannon, and their House confederates likely intended when Gaetz kicked this off: deepening the divisions among Republicans and creating more chaos. Toss in Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Jim Jordan as the next speaker, and things were getting lit.
Then Fox News stepped in, scheduling a nationally televised event next Monday evening with speaker candidates Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise (and Kevin Hern, if he decides to run). Fox News confirmed Punchbowl News’ scoop to USA Today, characterizing the event as a “joint interview” rather than a debate. Whatever it’s called, House Republicans are pissed about it. They’re not just pissed—they’re “infuriated.”
