Freedom Caucus Vows to Defend Jordan As Twitter Mocks His Denials

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:31 pm

To See President Biden's 5 Best Jokes At The White House Correspondents Dinner visit The Daily.

Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives, called on his caucus members to continue to support founding member Jim Jordan from Ohio as he comes under attack for not reporting sexual abuse at Ohio State University (OSU) when he was an assistant wrestling coach there.

“House Freedom Caucus members are urged to stand by Rep. Jim Jordan: House Freedom Caucus members are being urged to stand by Rep. Jim Jordan amid allegations that he knew about, but did not report, the alleged sexual abuse of wrestlers he coached at Ohio”

Speaking on CNN Friday night the North Carolina Republican said:

“I have always known Jim Jordan to be a man of the utmost character, honor and integrity. As the independent investigation is concluded, I’m confident people will learn the truth and it will confirm all he has said about the situation. I’m proud to stand by Jim Jordan and support him 100% and call on all of my colleagues to do the same.”

Other members of the Freedom Caucus have not responded because they are on holiday break, so it’s not known if they will publicly vocalize their support for Jordan.  Since the facts of the scandal are still unfolding it would be politically safer to take a “wait and see” approach before coming to Jordan’s defense.

Also last night, POLITICO reported that so far six former Ohio State wrestlers have said they were sexually abused while Jordan as an assistant wrestling coach. The article also called the Ohio State athletic program “a cesspool of deviancy.”

“A half-dozen former wrestlers at Ohio State, where GOP Rep. Jim Jordan once coached, said they were regularly harassed by men in their training facility.”

Several of the wrestlers said they knew Jordan had seen “lewd acts and attacks on athletes” in the Ohio State athletic room showers.

On Fox News, Jordan finally admitted that he had heard discussions about the improper sexual harassment and abuse taking place under his nose, but he discounted it all as “locker room talk.” Pundits on Twitter wasted no time for mocking Jordan about his comments.

“It’s not real sexual abuse when you hear about it while still inside the locker room, says Jim Jordan”

“Note to #OhioState students: Sexual abuse by the team doctor who likes to shower with you must be reported OUTSIDE the locker room, otherwise it’s just guy talk, says GOP Congressman Jim Jordan.”

He also blamed a conspiracy for the story coming out.

“In this Fox interview, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) calls the discussion of the sexual assault of dozens of young men under his watch “locker room talk”. Then, he tries to blame Rod Rosenstein for the story coming out.”

The Mad Dog PAC, which puts up billboards in GOP congressional districts, also tweeted about their airplane banner flyover in Jordan’s home district:

“See you in Northwest Ohio today from 2-5pm. We’ll be bringing Air Jordan through Urbana, which is Jim Jordan’s home town, as well as Cedar Point, Lake Erie shores, and nearby areas.”

All in all, it looks like Jim Jordan and his defenders like Mark Meadows and Fox News will continue to deny he is culpable in any way for standing silent while young athletes were being sexually abused. However, as a survey of Twitter shows, and as a review of media headlines shows, most people aren’t buying it.  

Most people know Jim Jordan failed to do what he was supposed to do. And for a man who built his career attacking others for their failings, usually with no evidence, it is only fitting that he be brought down by his own moral failings and hypocrisy.

Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.