Hard-Line MAGA Standard-Bearer Jim Jordan Wins House GOP Leader Post, Defended Trump in Impeachment Fights

Senior lawmaker behind the 'Coupang report'

Vote blocks impeachment push against defense secretary

Jim Jordan, the hard-line Republican congressman from Ohio who led the drafting of the so-called Coupang report, will lead House Republicans in the new Congress that begins early next year.

Republicans chose Jordan in a closed-door meeting on Nov. 10 as their House GOP leader for next year. The post is currently held by Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Jordan won 106 votes to Scalise's 73. Republicans chose Jordan, an outspoken ideological conservative, over Scalise, a more pragmatic figure who has served in party leadership since 2014. The decision suggests the party will pursue the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, agenda more aggressively.

Jordan is known as a staunch loyalist to President Donald Trump. A co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, he has long acted as one of Trump's chief defenders on Capitol Hill. During Trump's first term, he led efforts to defend the president against congressional impeachment. Trump later awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the US.

Jordan also ran for the top House Republican post in 2018 but lost to Kevin McCarthy of California. After McCarthy stepped down as House speaker in 2023, Jordan fought for the job again but lost out to Scalise. After repeated attempts, he has now become the top Republican leader in the House.

As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan led work on a report criticizing South Korea over the Coupang issue. The 35-page document also drew controversy in South Korea because it repeated Coupang's claims — including allegations that the South Korean government was leaning toward China — without sufficient supporting evidence.

The report said the Judiciary Committee and its subcommittee had secured evidence that the South Korean government carried out discriminatory attacks against US companies. It also claimed South Korea had targeted American companies for decades and that discriminatory treatment had worsened in recent years. The report was not ultimately adopted as a full House report.

Separately, Republicans blocked an effort in the House to bring impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directly to the floor for a vote. On Nov. 10, lawmakers approved a motion to send the measure to committee by a 211-204 vote. That sends the impeachment measure to the House Judiciary Committee instead of the full House. The Republican-controlled panel is expected to discard it. Democrats, however, after winning control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, could revive the impeachment push early next year when the new members' terms begin.

Lee Sang-eun, Washington correspondent, Hankyung.com, selee@hankyung.com