U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the firebrand congressman from northwest Ohio who co-founded the conservative House Freedom Caucus and remains one of President Trump’s closest allies in Congress, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Monday.
Past recipients of the nation’s highest civilian honor include Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, and Walt Disney. The award is given at the president’s discretion “to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to the White House.
The White House described Mr. Jordan as “an inspiration to freedom-loving Americans everywhere and has distinguished himself as one of the most consequential members of Congress of this generation.”
The Urbana Republican, 56, has represented Ohio’s 4th Congressional District since 2007 after spending more than a decade in the General Assembly as a state representative and senator. He’s considered to be weighing a run for Ohio governor against Mike DeWine in 2022.
It was revealed last week that Mr. Jordan would receive the award along with another of Mr. Trump’s staunch allies, Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), who accepted his honor in a private ceremony on Jan. 5. The President also presented the award to golfers Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias the day after the U.S. Capitol riot.
In its statement, the White House credited Mr. Jordan with “[unmasking] the Russia hoax and take on Deep State corruption — confronting senior Justice Department officials for obstructing Congress and exposing the fraudulent origins of the Russia collusion lie. His work helped to unearth malfeasance at the highest levels of the United States government.”
The White House also praised Mr. Jordan for his report on the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya; his efforts to crack down on “wasteful” green energy spending; and investigation into whether the IRS unfairly targeted conservative nonprofits that applied for tax-exempt status.
The ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Mr. Jordan assumed the top GOP post on the House Judiciary Committee during Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, becoming his chief defender in the proceedings that ultimately led to his acquittal in the Senate. He is likely to reprise the role if the House votes to impeach Mr. Trump a second time during his final days in office.
“Impeachment is for a sitting president, and the president — if the Democrats pursue this — could not have a trial until after he left office, so I think it’s got real constitutional problems,” Mr. Jordan said Sunday on Fox News. “But most important, it’s not healthy for the nation. We’re at an important point. I’m very concerned about where we’re at and I hope we can begin to come back together.”
Mr. Jordan was among five Ohio Republicans who objected last week against certifying the presidential election results after the riot at the U.S. Capitol that killed five people. The others are Reps. Steve Chabot, Warren Davidson, Bob Gibbs, and Bill Johnson.
The congressman has also faced questions about whether he was aware of sexual assault allegations against Ohio State University’s Dr. Richard Strauss while he was a wrestling coach at the school in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Mr. Jordan has repeatedly denied the claims.
First Published January 11, 2021, 10:27 p.m.
