Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who is running for governor in the Sunshine State, said on Thursday he would support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in the race to succeed House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
DeSantis — an inaugural member of the powerful House Freedom Caucus — cited Jordan’s time as a wrestler and his reputation as a conservative firebrand as qualities he’d like to see in the next No. 1 Republican in the House.
{mosads} Jordan has been facing allegations from former wrestlers at Ohio State University (OSU) that he turned a blind eye to reports of sexual abuse during his tenure as an assistant wrestling coach. The Ohio lawmaker has denied any knowledge about the alleged abuse.
DeSantis, who is vying to replace retiring Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), described Jordan as a man of principles and a fighter, as well as somebody who would stand up to lobbyists.
In a speech to America First Coalition, DeSantis also said Jordan would have pushed hard to achieve the House Freedom Caucus’s goal to get Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to release documents tied to the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
“Look, Jim, he’s is a champion wrestler, he’s tough, he’s principled, and if Jim Jordan were Speaker we’d get these documents tomorrow because he fights and he would dig in. And so I think it would be great. I mean, I think all the lobbyists would be quaking in their boots if Jim Jordan was Speaker,” DeSantis told the conservative group.
“I mean, the swamp would immediately start to drain and I think that’s what we need,” he added. “Jim would mark a change where you’re really standing up for taxpayers and really fighting the swamp day in and day out.”
Jordan announced his bid for Speaker in late July. But the Ohio Republican, who has a reputation for being a thorn in leadership’s side, faces an uphill battle in securing the position.
Florida Democrats blasted DeSantis’s endorsement, slamming him for supporting Jordan after the sexual abuse allegations.