Trevor Noah dissects GOP Rep. Jim Jordan's lame, puzzling 'locker room' defense against abuse complicity

Trevor Noah forks Jim Jordan
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Daily Show)

Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government, and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) "is quitting in January because he wants to spend more time with his backwards-hat collection," Trevor Noah said on Wednesday's Daily Show. So House Republicans will need a new leader, "and while they have many options, there's one name that's getting more attention than most": Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Before he announced his Sean Hannity–endorsed bid for speaker, Jordan was already in the news for trying to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — and also for a scandal at his old workplace, Ohio State University.

When Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State, Noah said, "we're just now learning that one of his trademark moves may have been enabling sexual abuse" by a university doctor. "Wow, turning a blind eye to rampant sexual abuse of the kids you're supposed to be protecting — I'm sorry, it doesn't get more scumbag than that," he said. "And if these allegations are true, then Jim Jordan is basically Joe Paterno Part 2. ... Obviously these are just allegations, but Congressman Jordan's defense doesn't sound very convincing."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.