Jan 6 defender Jim Jordan warns against storming the Capitol, and the irony is glaring

Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, drew renewed scrutiny this week after warning that Americans do not have the right to storm the Capitol and disrupt Congress. As reported by The Independent, the Ohio Republican made the remark during a heated hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The exchange occurred as Bondi faced questions on issues ranging from the release of Jeffrey Epstein files to immigration enforcement. The discussion shifted when Jordan raised a case involving a former journalist accused of following protesters into a Minnesota church service, prompting him to outline limits on constitutional protections.

Jordan asked Bondi whether individuals can exercise their constitutional rights in a way that infringes on the rights of others, receiving a firm “no.” He continued by stating that while Americans have a First Amendment right to petition the government, that does not include disrupting a congressional hearing.

Jordan’s remarks reignite scrutiny of his Jan. 6 record

“You have a right to protest in the street, but that doesn’t give you a right to go into the Capitol and disrupt Congress,” Jordan said during the hearing. The comment drew immediate reaction online, including a brief social media response from a former journalist expressing disbelief. The exchange unfolded as the House advanced a sweeping voter ID bill during a separate round of high-profile fights on Capitol Hill.

Jordan’s remarks resurfaced questions about his role following the 2020 election. He was among 147 Republicans who voted on January 6 to reject electoral results from Pennsylvania and Arizona, citing claims of fraud after President Donald Trump’s defeat.

The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack later described Jordan as a “significant player” in efforts to challenge the election outcome. The panel alleged that he met with the president’s allies to discuss strategies for contesting the results and advised then Chief of Staff Mark Meadows regarding efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to discount certain electoral votes. The broader debate has also tracked a Canada national emergency vote that kept questions of executive power in the spotlight this week.

The committee also heard testimony from former Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson. He said Jordan had been in contact with the White House about securing presidential pardons for Republican members of Congress involved in efforts to overturn the election.

Jordan declined to cooperate with the committee’s investigation and called its subpoena “an outrageous abuse” of authority in a January 2022 letter to Chairman Bennie Thompson. He argued that the request exceeded legitimate inquiry and violated constitutional principles.

Ten days after the attack, Jordan stated during a virtual committee meeting that what happened at the Capitol on January 6 “was as wrong as wrong can be.”