DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement in response to Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan both pushing false stolen election rhetoric in last night’s House Republican speaker candidate forum: 

“The Big Lie is the big litmus test for today’s MAGA GOP leadership. Both candidates refused to tell the truth about free and fair elections in America, so sadly, the next House speaker will likely be an election denying, MAGA extremist who is beholden to Donald Trump and his presidential campaign. Instead of doing the work that the American people elected them to do, House Republicans continue to undermine our democracy and show the exact type of extreme and incompetent leadership that drove the People’s House into complete chaos, and it will be the same reason why House Republicans lose their House majority next year.”

The person who wins the House speaker’s race will likely be an extreme election denier.

Olivia Beavers, CNN: “In the candidate forum, Rep. Ken Buck asked both Scalise and Jordan if Trump won or lost the last election, per sources. … Told the specific question Buck asked: ‘Can you unequivocally and publicly state the election was not stolen.’ Neither him nor Hill got a direct answer”

The Guardian: “The two leading candidates to be the next speaker, Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio, tried to overturn the 2020 election. Both voted against certifying the electoral college vote and signed on to a Texas-led lawsuit at the supreme court to try and get the vote thrown out. Jordan, a prolific spreader of election misinformation, was a key Trump ally before and after the attack on the US Capitol who refused to cooperate with the panel that investigated January 6. Meanwhile, months after January 6, Scalise still refused to say the election was not stolen. If either of them were to become speaker, it would place someone who openly sought to overturn the election in one of the most powerful offices in Washington.”

CNN: “In the months leading up to and following the 2020 presidential election, potential House speaker and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan prolifically pushed false stolen election rhetoric. After then-President Donald Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, Jordan urged Trump not to concede, spread conspiracy theories, supported lawsuits attempting to disqualify the legitimate results and discussed plans to object to the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.”

Members of the MAGA House Republican conference continue to use their power to do Trump’s bidding. 

The Guardian: “Troy Nehls, from Texas, calls Trump ‘the greatest president of my lifetime’ and says he will nominate him to replace Kevin McCarthy”

The Hill: “Trump looking for Speaker who will help him”

New York Times: “But in today’s Republican Party, doing the right thing is considered a transgression, not a virtue — a sign of unforgivable allegiance to the political establishment. … House Republicans, beholden to a base that reveres former President Donald J. Trump and detests compromise, have become ungovernable. And it is doubtful that his precipitous downfall will break the fever.”

Washington Post: “One other factor has brought the House Republicans to this point. That is the person and example of Donald Trump, the former president. Trump put governing by chaos on steroids (if one can call what he did governing) and in doing so produced a group of Mini-Mes, symbolized most by the politician who brought down McCarthy on Tuesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.). This is the kind of leadership the party now offers the country.”

Let’s not forget this is the same conference that almost shut down the government because Trump asked. 

Sahil Kapur, NBC News: “Donald Trump’s new instruction to congressional Republicans on government funding: ‘UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING, SHUT IT DOWN!’

(Worth remembering, Trump forced a 35-day shutdown over wall money as president but ultimately caved and reopened gov’t after getting nothing.)”

Rep. Matt Gaetz: “Trump agrees with me 

Not @SpeakerMcCarthy

No Continuing Resolution 

Break the Fever

Hold the Line”

Rep. Andy Ogles: “THANK YOU @realDonaldTrump for your support. 

NO CR 🇺🇸

1. Pass the 12 Appropriations Bills

2. Secure Border

3. Debt Commission to Cut Spending 

4. Release J6 Tapes 

5. Defund DA Jack Smith & Sec Mayorkas”

And instead of working to deliver for the American people, MAGA House Republicans have chased a baseless impeachment inquiry of President Biden after Trump demanded they do so. 

Politico: “Donald Trump has been weighing in behind the scenes in support of the House GOP push to impeach President Joe Biden, including talking with a member of leadership in the lead up to Tuesday’s announcement authorizing a formal impeachment inquiry.”

The Independent: “Marjorie Taylor Greene has admitted that the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry is a nakedly political scheme to ensure Democrats ‘lose big’ at the next presidential election.”

“Ms Greene this week told The New York Times she had briefed Mr Trump on her strategy of making the inquiry ‘long and excruciatingly painful’ for Mr Biden.”