Private lunches, campaign stops and $10 million dangled as a carrot…how Trump ally Jim Jordan could be secretively plotting to take Speaker Mike Johnson’s top job

Mike Johnson’s speakership is safe for now.

But there is no guarantee that the Louisiana Republican, who has gained four spots in the rankings for the top position, will hold out until the next conference, his opponents say.

Other conservative heavyweights already appear to be quietly preparing for a leadership reshuffle, most notably Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan.

The Ohio Republican, whose star power soared with the rise of Donald Trump, ran for Johnson’s presidency. He gave up when it was clear that the Republicans’ ‘never Jordanian’ cadre in the House of Representatives would continue stubborn: 22 still opposed him as speaker on the second vote in the House of Representatives.

Before Jordan was elected speaker of the House of Representatives and tried his hand on the floor, Majority Leader Steve Scalise had defeated him for the nomination.

He had encountered a similar conundrum: right-wing anti-establishment lawmakers who continued to vote for Jordan even though he was not the nominee. While Jordan publicly supported Scalise, he took no steps behind the scenes to encourage his own devotees to do the same.

But he has since seemingly made amends with some of his moderate opponents, crisscrossing the country for fundraisers and town halls for members across the Republican spectrum.

‘If you wait until a vacancy becomes available to prepare for it, you are waiting too long. So I think he fulfills that narrative,” one GOP member told DailyMail.com.

‘It doesn’t surprise me. That’s what you do when you think there’s a chance you could do it.”

Earlier this month, Johnson told reporters that he plans to lead the House Republican Party “in the future” and has already begun making plans for the next Congress.

“The most important thing we need to do now is to run the country well,” Johnson said on May 8. “We have plans for the next conference, and we have outlined a lot of that. Right now it’s all hands on deck, all hands on the wheel. … I’m honored to be able to do that. I expect I will do the same in the future.’

To be clear, Jordan’s team remains coy about what he’s looking for. “Jordan is focused on the important work he is doing as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, growing the majority and supporting Mike Johnson to lead our conference,” Jordan spokesman Russell Dye said.

“I’m for the speaker, I’ve been clear about that,” Jordan told DailyMail.com when asked if he would support Johnson in the next Congress.

A senior Republican Party aide said their boss, who runs in a more pragmatic circle, was surprised when Jordan invited them to lunch out of the blue.

Jordan has raised eyebrows by handing out campaign checks to colleagues — not just those in his inner circle.

Jordan has nearly $10 million on hand, and has offered more than $200,000 to dozens of different Republican campaigns so far this cycle.

Since the campaign season got underway late last year, Jordan has crisscrossed the country in search of town halls and fundraisers for at least 34 members from across the ideological spectrum.

He worked with Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a “Never Jordan” member during Jordan’s first run for speaker, to get Bacon’s bill passed last week: the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act.

Jordan recently held a fundraiser for Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in her home state of Iowa, even after revealing she had received death threats for opposing his bid for speaker.

Jordan did a tele-town hall for Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who also opposed his bid and faces a tough primary where some of his conservative colleagues voted against him.

“I don’t remember this level of outreach from him before,” said another GOP member. “He could be up to something.”

Jordan has held events with moderates like Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., and Tom McClintock, R-Calif., leaders like Johnson and Gary Palmer and conservatives like Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Keith Self, R-Calif. Texas.

He has avoided appearing alongside conservatives who support the motion to scrap or undermine the votes to advance the speaker’s agenda.

But if Republicans retain a majority in the House of Representatives, Jordan would face an uphill battle as chairman: not only would he have to win over a majority of Republicans, but also a majority of House members in the House of Representatives. general.

‘It’s going to be difficult [for Jordan] as a speaker,” said one member. “I’d say he’s probably a favorite for minority leader, all it takes is a simple majority.”

“Jordan will have a better chance in the next Congress, especially if the Republican party loses the majority, because the swing seat members most hostile to Jordan will be the first in line to lose re-election, as will members of the old guard like Kay Granger who are retiring and will not vote in the conference,” said a senior GOP aide with ties to the anti-Jordanian cohort.

“In many ways, Jordan and his allies want to be in the minority so they can challenge Johnson.”

“I think he will remain chairman of the judiciary,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a close ally of Jordan. “But to be honest, if he runs for a leadership position, I’m the whip.”

He brushed off those who read Jordan to support conference members, noting that Jordan came to California to campaign for him when Issa retired and later went to work in another district.

‘People forget that he always reached out to people, that he always gave money to people’s events,” Issa said. “I think a lot of people miss the fact that he was one of those who didn’t care who got the credit.”

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., agreed. “He has always been good at helping people,” he told DailyMail.com. “Maybe maybe I should give him a call, because if he’s handing out campaign dollars, I didn’t get any!”

“He has been working to appeal to the 20 who remained steadfast in supporting other candidates in October – both personally and politically. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was playing behind the scenes to find a potential speaker,” said another staffer close to the anti-Jordan members.

But such members suggest their opposition to Jordan is going nowhere.

Some members see Jordan as the “Matt Gaetz of a decade ago,” while others were shocked by the death threats some members received when they opposed his bid for speaker.

Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga., a close Scalise ally who received death threats for opposing Jordan, praised the Ohio Republican and insisted he supported Johnson.

‘We are happy when committee chairs or senior members do things to help all our members. I am very grateful that Jim Jordan has been incredible in his support of the leadership and his support of Mike Johnson. It shows we are a united team.”

‘Some people want [Jordan for speaker] but they are sometimes very myopic,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, RN.C. “Everyone is always jostling, but this whole change of leader because you don’t like something is absolutely destructive.”