Representative Jim Jordan's new political strategy of being less of an alarmist with slower, more strategic responses is being met with skepticism from his Democratic colleagues on the other side of the aisle, according to a new CNN report.
The newly-minted Republican House majority has long signalled plans to turn the tables on Democrats after years of criminal and civil investigations into former president Donald Trump.
Biden administration officials are girding themselves for a barrage of demands for copies of communications with Big Tech, the Internal Revenue Service, law enforcement and the intelligence community.
Jordan is now the chair the House Judiciary Committee and the head of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
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Jordan's new persona was on full display during the first House subcommittee 'weaponization' meeting, which is reviewing alleged preferential treatment at the Department of Justice and other federal intelligence organizations that may have benefited President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Instead of going full on against Biden and the Democrats to placate his far-right and Midwestern political bases, Jordan urged caution during the hearing when it come to the process and said he communicated a slower approach when it came to selecting individuals to interview.
During the hearing Jordan distributed background information about his preferred process and protocol for the interviews during the hearing.
"We are going to try to get all the facts on the table for the American people, because that's always the first step," Jordan said in a CNN interview.
Members across the GOP have recognized and talked on record about Jordan's new approach and are waiting to see if his new style of leadership will be effective in leading the hearings.
"It is important to be methodical," said Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), also a subcommittee member, during an interview with CNN. "[Jordan] knows the different levers to use."
Across the aisle with Democrats large skepticism still exists that the 2023 Jordan is going to remain the same, especially with the 2024 election season around the corner.
"If he wants to turn a new leaf and be credible and methodical and try to get at the facts as opposed to wacko conspiracy theories and the latest news item propagated by right wing media ... that would be welcome," said Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who is also on the weaponization subcommittee.
The weaponization subcommittee has asserted powers to oversee "ongoing criminal investigations" -- putting Republicans on a collision course with the DOJ, which has a history of fiercely protecting open probes.
CNN reported that the White House "doesn’t seem to be buying Jordan’s change."
"Jordan is launching a special committee to try to obstruct justice and interfere in law enforcement investigations,” an unnamed Biden official told the publication, adding that Jordan’s “credibility is in serious question, as he tries to weaponize his perch to attack his own political enemies."
With additional reporting by AFP
