Damning timeline shows Jim Jordan pushed Trump’s big lie harder than any other Republican

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) did more than any other Republican lawmaker to push Donald Trump's "big lie" about his election loss, and he was rewarded for his efforts by the twice-impeached one-term president, according to a new analysis.

The Ohio Republican suggested as far back as Aug. 22, 2020, that Democrats would try to steal the election and used his frequent appearances on Fox News to push baseless conspiracy theories, and helped encourage the "Stop the Steal" rally that led to the Jan. 6 insurrection, and the Just Security website tracked those efforts in an extensive timeline.

"This course of conduct arguably sets Rep. Jordan apart from every other Republican member of Congress who supported the Big Lie, voted to object to the certification of the election, or engaged in other related activities," the authors reported.

Jordan was "the most prolific Fox guest" among GOP lawmakers, according to a Media Matters analysis, and also appears frequently on the right-wing Newsmax and OAN outlets, where he raised unfounded allegations of fraud that helped motivate extremists to storm the U.S. Capitol to overturn the election loss.

"He also led efforts to create an image in the minds of Trump supporters of Jan. 6 as the 'ultimate date of significance' (his words, repeated several times)," the authors wrote. "He helped spearhead the effort to oppose certification of the election in Congress. He has continued to promote the 'Big Lie' even after the events on Jan. 6 and subsequent FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warnings that this conspiracy is propelling domestic violent extremists."

Those efforts resulted in an award from Trump in the days following the insurrection.

"On or before Jan. 4, President Donald Trump reportedly decided to award Rep. Jordan the Medal of Freedom," the authors wrote. "On Jan. 11, Jordan received his Medal of Freedom at the White House in a ceremony with no media present."

Review the entire timeline here.