Just how many times did Republican Jim Jordan speak to Donald Trump during the iMAGA mob insurrection?
That's the question on people's minds after the Ohio GOP Representative suddenly changed his story regarding the number of phone calls he exchanged with the former President during the January 6 Capitol riot.
Speaking to Politico, Jordan recalled he and Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz got on the phone call with Trump while the insurrection was underway and asked him to tell his supporters to "stand down."
Jordan said:
"Look, I definitely spoke to the President that day. I don't recall—I know it was more than once, I just don't recall the times."
He added that he was "sure" that one of the phone calls was made in the safe room "because we were in that room forever." However, he said he would have to "think about" whether Gaetz participated or not.
That's a different account from what he told Spectrum News in an interview last month:
"Yeah, I mean I speak, I spoke with the President last week. I speak with the President all the time. I spoke with him on January 6th."
"I mean I talk with President Trump all the time. And that's, that's, I don't think that's unusual."
"I would expect members of Congress to talk with the President of the United States when they're trying to get done the things they told the voters in their district to do."
"I'm actually kind of amazed sometimes that people keep asking this question. Of course, I talk to the President all the time."
"I talked, like I said, I talked with him last week."
And when asked whether he and Trump spoke before, during or after the insurrection, Jordan fumbled before attempting to change the subject:
"Uh, I'd have to go, I'd, I, I, I spoke with him that day after, I think after. I don't know if I spoke with him in the morning or not."
"I just don't know. Uh, I'd have to go back and, I mean I don't, I don't, I don't know, uh, that, when those conversations happened."
"But, um, what I know is that I spoke with him all the time."
Could Jordan be trying to straighten out his story if he's called to testify before the House Select Committee investigating the attack?
Social media users seem to think so.
He's been branded a liar.
Six days after the House Committee on the insurrection asked for phone records, Jim Jordan suddenly started remembering stuff. Hmmmmmmhttps://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/08/29/about-jim-jordans-other-jan-6-call-with-trump-494169\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf0aJoeInWV \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf0aJoeInWV \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1630264088
Jordan\u2019s comments about Jan 6 sound like a kid\u2019s lies snowballing as he tries to get out of trouble. There is no way you would forget when/where/how many times you spoke to Potus on THAT day. https://twitter.com/rachaelmbade/status/1432004747020615687\u00a0\u2026— Amanda Borowski (@Amanda Borowski) 1630349976
Jim Jordan: I didn't speak with President Trump on January 6th...\n\nAlso Jim Jordan: Oh, you meant on the phone?https://twitter.com/rachaelmbade/status/1432004747020615687\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u267fThe Science\u2122\u267f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u267fThe Science\u2122\u267f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1630337544
this isn't a SCOOP. this is an attempt to do some ass-covering by two of the worst characters in this ongoing mess.https://twitter.com/rachaelmbade/status/1432004747020615687\u00a0\u2026— annmadeinbrooklyn (@annmadeinbrooklyn) 1630339448
But a month ago, Jim Jordan repeatedly said "I can't remember" when asked if & when specifically he spoke with Trump ON January 6th.\n\nIf only there were some way to go back and look at the dates & times you made phone calls on your smart phone.\n\nHomina, homina, homina... https://twitter.com/rachaelmbade/status/1432004747020615687\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/8O0j2GX82Q— Sallinger (@Sallinger) 1630341129
So did he forget or did he lie? I don\u2019t see how forgetting about \u201cmultiple calls\u201d with the president on such a landmark day is not considered wildly incompetent. And lying is obviously an issue.https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1432165859624169484\u00a0\u2026— HotMalez (@HotMalez) 1630332590
Jordan's statement that he and Gaetz had asked Trump to tell insurrectionists was also skewered.
So either Jim Jordan was calling Trump multiple times on Jan 6th to coordinate the overthrow of the US Government or he was calling him to have the angry mob he incited stand down.— Tim Hannan (@Tim Hannan) 1630323422
Why would Jim Jordan need to have multiple calls with Trump on January 6? If he was just calling for help, one call should have been enough. Multiple calls means Jordan was giving Trump periodic updates on how the coup was going. Jordan was part of the inside intel network.— Bill Johnson (@Bill Johnson) 1630352586
I look forward to the days when Jim Jordan no longer trends...\n\nHe's a lousy human being who had a big part of 1/6.— Brian O'Sullivan (@Brian O'Sullivan) 1630338773
I'm confused, if Trump had nothing to do with the January insurrection, why did Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz know to call him to get HIS supporters to stand down...— Stu Cameron (@Stu Cameron) 1630318928
Although Gaetz has not remarked on Jordan's comments directly, a spokesperson told Politico that he speaks with Trump regularly and "doesn't disclose the substance of those discussions with the media."
The intrigue over Jordan's comments has intensified after the House Select Committee said it will ask telecommunications companies to preserve the phone records of lawmakers who participated in the "Stop the Steal" rally ahead of the insurrection.
Sources who spoke to CNN said the committee opted against making public the names of the lawmakers whose records are under scrutiny, but other sources said the list includes several prominent Republicans.
These include Colorado GOP Representative Lauren Boebert, Georgia GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan.
@AB84/X; @Chase_leon7/X