“Biggest F U”: Republican “almost lunges” at Gaetz as GOP meeting erupts over Jordan speaker failure

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is set to announce that he will not pursue a third vote for the chamber's speakership, but will support a plan to permit acting Speaker Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., to run the House temporarily.

The Ohio Republican's decision, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to Politico, followed his two defeats in the race earlier this week. It also marks a victory for centrists who created the proposal to empower McHenry, who had not sought out the position. 

Jordan's decision came as House Republicans convened for a closed-door meeting with his allies attempting to salvage a rag-tag effort that lost votes on Wednesday. He indicated on Wednesday his reception to a vote on the proposal to empower McHenry until Jan. 3 but has not signaled where his latest move leaves his bid for the speakership.

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, author of the proposal, told Politico that "if anything, it buys [Jordan] more time to do what he needs to do in private” to convert his skeptics. Other Republican representatives, however, are "pissed" about Jordan's embrace of the proposal, Semafor reporter Joseph Zeballos-Roig reported. 

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., called McHenry's potential election “the biggest F.U. to Republican voters," while Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, told Punchbowl News that he is a "Hell no" on the resolution, both arguing that a majority of Republicans will oppose it.

"We don't deserve the majority," Banks told reporters, predicting that "more than half of Republicans" would oppose the measure. Fallon predicted it could be as many as two-thirds of the caucus.

"No Republican should under any circumstances support an unconstitutional elevation of power to an unelected Speaker, nor a highly dangerous coalition government arrangement with Democrats radically opposed to the America first agenda," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., tweeted.

“We shouldn’t be setting the precedent that this is the way we should elect a speaker," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Punchbowl News, adding that Jordan “doesn’t need to drop out” and that he will continue to support him for speaker. 

Tensions flared at a House GOP meeting after Jordan's decision. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., "screamed" at Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led the push to oust him, to sit down when the Florida congressman went to the microphone to speak, according to Axios reporter Juliegrace Brufke. Rep. Michael Bost, R-Ill., was "almost lunging" at Gaetz, sources told Brufke.

McCarthy later denied that he screamed at Gaetz, telling reporters that Gaetz interrupted him and he told him to sit down.

“I think the whole country is screaming at Matt Gaetz," he added, according to Brufke.

Reps. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, called on Jordan to step aside at the party's speaker designee at the meeting, according to Axios.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., complained that she was "disappointed" in Jordan's decision.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., ripped the plan to elevate McHenry.

"I will not sit back and watch a complete betrayal of the GOP base with this 'plan' that’s being discussed," she vowed. "I ran because I was sick and tired of politicians coming up here and cutting deals and releasing 'holier than thou' statements about why we just had to accept it."

The right-wing gripes over the plan underscore the need for Democratic votes to empower McHenry.

"For many Democrats, backing the McHenry resolution is a hard, almost impossible vote if Jordan is still going to be running for speaker and not dropping his bid," CBS News' Robert Costa reported. "It essentially becomes a vote to give Jim Jordan more time to whip votes rather than simply empower McHenry."