Rep. Jim Jordan, a staunch devotee to Donald Trump who helped peddle lies about the 2020 election, urged “the left” to “uphold democratic norms” this week after the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity.
“Hyper-partisan prosecutors like Jack Smith cannot weaponize the rule of law to go after the Administration’s chief political rival, and we hope that the Left will stop its attacks on President Trump and uphold democratic norms," Jordan said in a statement on Monday.
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump has some immunity from prosecution in his federal election interference case, a decision that could potentially affect his indictments in two other criminal cases and his conviction in the New York hush money case. Democrats, including President Joe Biden, criticized the ruling, and legal scholars across the political spectrum expressed shock at the high court's decision.
But it was celebrated by Trump, who wrongly claimed that it had "exonerated" him, and a slew of Republicans loyal to him. The right framed the Supreme Court decision as a blow to Democrats, whom they have accused of manipulating the criminal justice system against a politician who himself has vowed to weaponize law enforcement against his political enemies if he is re-elected.
Jordan's comments are especially rich, considering his participation in the effort to overturn the 2020 election results. The Ohio Republican had peddled the narrative about a "stolen election" in the months leading up to the 2020 race. After it became clear that Trump had lost, Jordan encouraged the then-president to not concede and plotted with him to reject the outcome of the election.
Since becoming the chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee in January 2023, Jordan has used his perch to attack public officials investigating Trump and launch a haphazard impeachment inquiry against Biden. And he vowed to keep it up, saying in his statement on the Supreme Court ruling: “The Judiciary Committee will continue to oversee dangerous lawfare tactics in our judicial system.”