What Ohio's Jim Jordan said before, during and after the riot at the U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As President Donald Trump exhorted his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, to "demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated," Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan pressed Trump's case on the House of Representatives floor. And since that moment, his loyal allegiance to Trump has not been broken, even after the violent insurrection that day. Here's a look at what Jordan has said as the violence played out, and in its aftermath. Trump singled out Jordan for praise in remarks he delivered to his supporters on the Ellipse before they marched to the U.S. Capitol and disrupted the vote count in a riot that resulted in five deaths, including that of a Capitolpolice officer. "For years, Democrats have gotten away with election fraud," Trump claimed. "There's so many weak Republicans. And we have great ones. Jim Jordan and some of these guys, they are out there fighting. The House guys are fighting, but it's — it's incredible. ... The weak Republicans. They're pathetic Republicans, and that's what happens. Before Trump's supporters arrived at the U.S. Capitol, where they stormed the building, vandalized it and halted congressional proceedings, Jordan led a group of Republican Congress members who objected to counting Arizona's electoral votes. Jordan wanted to object to counting the electoral votes in six states the Trump campaign disputed, even though courts throughout the country had rejected their legal challenges. Jordan pushed Trump's disproven narrative of a "stolen" election as Congress began to tally the electoral votes that would certify Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory, Jordan declared "Americans instinctively know there was something wrong with this election," and cited large crowds at Trump rallies, and Trump's inroads with African American and Hispanic American voters as evidence. "President Trump got 11 million more votes than he did in 2016, and House Republicans won 27 of 27 toss-up races," said Jordan. "But somehow the guy who never left his house wins the election? Eighty million Americans, 80 million of our fellow citizens, Republicans and Democrats, have doubts about this election; and 60 million people, 60 million Americans think it was stolen." Jordan accused Democrats in Congress of refusing to address doubts about the 2020 election by conducting investigations. He argued that's because "all the Democrats care about is making sure President Trump isn't President." He contended Democrats weren't able to remove Trump from office after spending two years investigating the "Russia hoax," so they made unconstitutional changes in election law to secure his defeat. "They did an end-run around the Constitution in every state that Republicans will object to today," said Jordan. "Every single one. It was a pattern. It was their template. They did it in Arizona. They did it in Georgia. They did it in Michigan. They did it in Pennsylvania. They did it in Nevada. They did it in Wisconsin. "Yet, some of our members say: Don't worry about it. We shouldn't do anything. Just let it go. It was just six states who violated the Constitution. What if it is 10 states next time? What if it is 15? What if, in 2024, 2028, it is 26 states? What if it is half the states that do an end-run around what the Constitution clearly spells out? We are the final check and balance. The authority rests with us, the United States Congress, the body closest to the American people, right where the founders wanted it. We should do our duty. We should object to and vote for this objection to the Arizona electors." After Jordan spoke, the riot disrupted the debate. U.S. Senators and House of Representatives members were held in secure locations as Capitol Police officers battled hundreds of Trump supporters who vandalized the building as they repeated Trump's claims that the election was stolen. Protesters chanted "Hang Mike Pence," who was presiding over the congressional session and whom Trump had asked to discard the disputed electoral votes. They also ransacked multiple congressional offices, including that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. During the protest, Jordan posted a statement on Twitter that said: "Stop the violence. Support Capitol Police." He followed up with another that said: "Americans support peaceful protests, First Amendment activity, and the men and women of law enforcement. What happened today is wrong and is not what America is about." Jordan did not hold Trump responsible for the riot. And when Capitol Police had cleared the building and Congress was able to reconvene, Jordan voted against accepting electoral votes from the disputed states, but did not speak again on the House of Representatives floor. In a Sunday appearance on Fox News, Jordan did not blame Trump or other Republicans for stoking the riot. When Fox's Maria Bartiromo asked Jordan "what was behind this heinous, disgusting move to put an assault on our democracy by breaking into the Capitol ... where's the accountability?" Jordan responded: "You got to hold the people who did these terrible things accountable, and law enforcement and the Justice Department is doing just that." "People are responsible for their actions and these terrible actions that were taken, they need to be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Jordan said. He also told Bartiromo that Republicans "have been consistent" in calling for prosecuting people who destroyed property and attacked police officers and private citizens during riots over the summer to protest the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police, as well as those who rioted at the Capitol. "Democrats, on the other hand, this summer they said the cause justified the action," said Jordan. "They even raised money to bail these rioters and looters out of jail. They named streets after the organizations who were pushing for these events. All the while, they were talking about defunding the police. So, let's be consistent. Let's be consistent and let's calm everything down and focus on unifying the country as we move forward." ___ (c)2021 The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Visit The Plain Dealer, Cleveland at www.cleveland.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.