House Republicans voted via secret ballot Friday afternoon to remove\u00a0Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio,\u00a0as their speaker nominee, Fox News Digital has confirmed.<\/p>\n
House Republicans huddled behind closed doors to figure out a path forward after Jordan lost even more support for his House speaker bid in a third-round House vote earlier Friday.<\/p>\n
GOP lawmakers are still in disarray more than two weeks after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted.<\/p>\n
Twenty-five Republicans voted for someone other than Jordan. Three people who had voted for Jordan in previous rounds switched their votes against him: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., and Thomas Kean, R-N.J.<\/p>\n
Molinaro told reporters ahead of the vote that he would not be supporting Jordan now.<\/p>\n
\u2018It is not my intention to do so today. That doesn\u2019t mean that I\u2019ve closed the door entirely,\u2019 Molinaro said about voting for Jordan.<\/p>\n
\u2018We had hoped, and I had worked with Congressman Jordan, to try to unify the conference. We are not unified. Opposition is entrenched. There is a level of anger and violence, threats of violence that are unacceptable. The best approach is to go back into our room and try to coalesce around a conservative candidate who can lead not only our conference, but Congress.,\u2019 Molinaro said.<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick told reporters after the vote that he doesn\u2019t see Jordan \u2018getting there.\u2019<\/p>\n
Kean, who voted for McCarthy on Friday, told Fox News Digital in a statement, \u2018For the past nearly three weeks, my number one priority has always been getting Congress moving again to do the work of the American people. With great respect, it has become evident that Chairman Jordan does not and will not have the votes to become Speaker.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018It is clear we need a conservative leader to helm the conference in this crucial time,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Jordan himself was projecting confidence on the way to the House GOP meeting, telling reporters, \u2018You guys said we\u2019re going to lose 15-30. You know, we lost of a couple, and we had a few people missing.\u2019<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jordan also appears poised to lose at least one more supporter if he goes to the floor again Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who has been voting for Jordan, told reporters after the vote that he intends to vote for former President Donald Trump to be speaker in the next round \u2014 if one happens.<\/p>\n
\u2018We got the number two most popular Republican in our country, and we don\u2019t want him \u2014 we, meaning collectively, us as a conference,\u2019 Nehls said. \u2018So my fourth vote now, this is three, my fourth vote is for Donald J. Trump. I\u2019m moving to Donald J. Trump.\u2019<\/p>\n
Fox News\u2019 Chad Pergram and Kelly Phares contributed to this report<\/p>\n