Who is Don Bacon's wife? NC Congressman reveals his spouse received anonymous texts threatening him to back Jim Jordan as Speaker
WASHINGTON, DC: In the wake of Ohio Representative Jim Jordan's staggering defeat in his first bid for the House Speaker's seat, North Carolina's Republican Congressman Don Bacon's wife, Angie Bacon, revealed that she got anonymous text messages threatening her husband to back Jordan for Speaker.
This comes at a time when the House of Representatives grapples to find a Speaker and has gone over a week without one.
Taking it to a different level, Bacon tells me his wife even received multiple anonymous emails and texts from people over the past few days w/ implied message: vote Jordan or be booted
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 17, 2023
Here are a few she received. https://t.co/VZQyfDCmeA https://t.co/ekFbEr24IM pic.twitter.com/FwwVvSrrvo
Anonymous messages apparently target Don Bacon's wife to coax vote in favor of Jim Jordan
Don Bacon's wife, Angie Bacon, apparently received a series of anonymous text messages that raised eyebrows in political circles. One of these messages bluntly stated, "Your husband better support Jim Jordan," as reported by Politico.
Another text conveyed a dire warning, "Your husband will not hold any political office ever again. What a disappointment and failure he is."
Angie responded to the messages, defending her husband, saying, "He has more courage than you. You won't put your name to your statements."
One more text supposedly appealed to Angie to encourage her husband to "step up and be a leader" for the Republican Party, highlighting the importance of having a Speaker amid the global challenges faced by the party.
Don shared that these anonymous emails and texts were just a fraction of the pressure he faced to support Jim Jordan in his Speaker bid. Several other Republicans, who chose to remain anonymous, have disclosed that they were also subjected to similar pressure to back Jordan.
Jim Jordan's campaign backfires
If the text messages were a part of Jim Jordan's campaign to rally support, then the strategy seems to have definitely backfired. Congressman Byron Donalds from Florida, who did vote for Jordan, commented, "I think some of it did backfire … and I think it was to the detriment of Jim."
Even Jordan's fellow Ohio Representative David Joyce noted that he didn't necessarily endorse the aggressive strategy.
The relentless pursuit of votes in support of Jordan has created an ongoing stalemate in the House. It's unclear at what point he might reconsider his Speaker bid, as Kevin McCarthy, the current Minority Leader, went through 15 ballots before securing his Speakership.
After the failed vote, Jordan met with the House's No 2 Republican, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, seeking assistance garnering moderate votes. However, as per Daily Mail, Scalise did not commit to lending his support.
Fox News host outburst and Jim Jordan's setback
The tension surrounding the Speaker election reached new heights when Fox News presenter Brian Kilmeade vented his frustration at Rep Don Bacon for not supporting Jim Jordan and instead voting for Kevin McCarthy.
Kilmeade even went as far as to call the Nebraska Congressman a "dumba**" on live television, as per Daily Mail.
Jordan's first bid for House Speaker ended in disaster, losing the support of several GOP lawmakers, including Don Bacon, Mario Diaz-Balart, Jake Ellzey, and Anthony D'Esposito. His vote count continued to decline as more Republicans opted for other candidates, such as Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise.
With Jordan struggling to secure enough votes, the GOP faces internal dysfunction and uncertainty about the future Speaker. Despite concerns about the direction of the party, the House remains in limbo, unable to conduct business and with a looming deadline for government funding.
The ongoing Speaker battle and implications
The race for Speaker remains a contentious battle, with former President Donald Trump endorsing Jim Jordan as the preferred candidate. Meanwhile, Kevin McCarthy rallied Republican holdouts to vote for Jordan or even vote "present" to lower the threshold for majority approval.
As the Speaker election drags on, the House has been unable to address critical issues, including government funding and international crises like the conflict between Israel and Hamas, raising concerns about the consequences of the ongoing deadlock.