Politics & Gov

In acquittal victory speech, Trump praises ‘warrior’ Rep. Jordan’s body

By: Robin Bravender - February 7, 2020 12:20 am

Ohio U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump took a victory lap on Thursday, the day after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit him on articles of impeachment.

After slamming Democrats for engaging in an unfair partisan “witch hunt” against him, Trump welcomed what he called “total acquittal” and singled out his friends in Congress who had his back along the way.

That included Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, one of Trump’s top defenders throughout the process.

“When I first got to know Jim, I said, ‘Huh, he never wears a jacket. What the hell is going on?” Trump said from a White House podium. “He’s obviously very proud of his body.”

Trump said he was looking at Jordan one day, “I say those ears have something going on there. I said, ‘Did you ever wrestle? … This guy was a champion top, top wrestler.”

Even though Jordan is “not as young as he was,” when he works out, “the machine starts burning,” Trump said. “There he is, look at that guy.”

Trump added, “We love you, too, because you are some warrior.” Jordan sat in the packed audience, surrounded by other congressional Republicans, members of Trump’s legal team and others.

Jordan was a NCAA champion wrestler. He was also a former assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State, and has been accused of ignoring reports of sexual abuse. Jordan has denied those allegations.

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Robin Bravender

Robin Bravender was the States Newsroom Washington Bureau Chief from January 2019 until June 2020. She coordinated the network’s national coverage and reported on states’ congressional delegations, federal agencies, the White House and the federal courts. Prior to that, Robin was an editor and reporter at E&E News, a reporter at Politico, and a freelance producer for Reuters TV.