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Jim Jordan calls for a hearing on 'cancel culture', Internet reminds him he 'canceled non-Trump voters'

Jordan's letter to House Judiciary Committee chairman calls cancel culture 'a threat to free speech'

Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan has called for a public hearing on 'cancel culture' in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee. Published on Monday, March 1, Jordan calls the issue "a fundamental threat to free speech". Jordan is a ranking member of the committee. 

In the letter, Jordan did not give a reason for why the Judiciary Committee should take up the case. The committee traditionally takes up cases related to the federal court system and law enforcement. Jordan is the first to call for a Congressional hearing of the matter, as many Republicans have claimed they are being canceled by social media and the press. The chairman of the committee Rep Jerry Nadler is yet to respond to the letter.

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Republicans have been targeting social media giants like Facebook and Twitter after the companies attempted to censor Trump and other prominent conservative voices over the last few years. Calls against 'cancel culture' gained steam after Trump was booted off social media following the January 6 insurrection. Conservatives had made the issue a key flashpoint in recent weeks, even using the theme 'America Uncanceled' at CPAC 2021. 

Jordan says consequences serious and substantial

In his letter, which the Judiciary Committee tweeted, Jordan says, "Cancel culture's long-term consequences to our democracy and our constitutional framework are serious and substantial." He then goes on to list cases of cancel culture, such as speeches at college campuses, the resignation of James Benet from the New York Times and the de-platforming of Trump. 

The two-page letter is signed only by Jordan, which is surprising. So far, no other Republican has called for a public hearing on the matter, while many of them have publicly complained about the issue. A report by HuffPost found that "57% majority of Republicans who’ve heard of 'cancel culture' describe it as a very serious problem, compared with just 11% of Democrats who’ve heard the term." 

Cancel culture has gone from being a complaint to a central theme of the Republican's strategy. It's not just Republicans in Congress but an important talking point for many state-level officials as well. Kirk Cox, a Republican running for Governor in Virginia released a campaign video on February 15 saying, "The silencing and shaming has gone too far. In order for our representative democracy to work, we have to be able to have a robust exchange of ideas. As Governor, I'll fight back against Cancel Culture." 

Jordan faces social media backlash 

It didn't take long for the news to go viral and many users calling out Jordan. One user tweeted: "Exhibit W on why Republicans are simply not a serious governing party anymore: they want the House Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing on "Cancel Culture." Fools like Jim Jordan want to turn Congress into a primetime Fox News show."

Others also referenced Jordan's attempts to overturn election results. As one user said: "Pictured: Jim Jordan trying to cancel 81,268,924 votes," sharing an image of Jordan at a 'Stop the Steal' event. Another said, "What cancel culture @Jim_Jordan? It's called consequences of your actions." Another user said: "Even tho @Jim_Jordan literally tried to cancel everyone who didn’t vote for Trump."

A user posted, "Can we cancel Jim Jordan? Asking for some wrestlers", referring to the allegation that Jordan new about sexual assault by an Ohio State University doctor. 

Another user tweeted: "@Jim_Jordan If you hold a hearing on cancel culture please call Colin Kaepernick, Liz Cheney, and the sixteen other GOP members of Congress you cancelled because they refuse to march lockstep like jackbooted Neanderthals for Trump."