Jim Jordan says he can’t remember how many times he spoke to Trump on 6 January

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Representative Jim Jordan stammered and struggled through a series of questions on whether he spoke with then-President Donald Trump during the 6 January insurrection.

The Ohio Republican was testifying before the House Rules Committee in opposition to the Capitol riot select committee’s criminal contempt referral against ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon when Chairman Jim McGovern pressed him on the matter of his communications with the former president.

The Massachusetts Democrat noted that Mr Jordan had had trouble answering questions about whether he’d spoken to Mr Trump during previous interviews with Fox News and a local television reporter.

“You’ve had 84 days since that interview to go back and check the records, so when did you speak to the former president on 6 January? Did you talk to the former president before, during, or after the attack on the Capitol?” he said.

Mr Jordan replied: “Of course I talked to the president — I talked to him that day. I’ve been clear about that. I don’t recall the number of times, but it’s not about me”.

The Rules Committee chairman pressed him once more: “Did you talk to the former President before, during, or after the attack on the Capitol — or was it all three?”

“The reason I ask is … you had 84 days since you said you couldn’t remember,” Mr McGovern said, adding that Mr Jordan had told a reporter from Politico that he’d spoken to Mr Trump during the attack.

Though Mr Jordan said he had not, in fact, spoken with Mr Trump during the attack itself, he told Politico in August that he was “sure” one time he’d spoken with the president on the day of the attack was after he and other members of Congress had been evacuated to a safe room in the Capitol, “because we were in that room forever”.

Mr Jordan told the chairman that he remembered speaking with Mr Trump “after the attack happened and we were moved to the chamber,” which appeared to be a reference to the aforementioned safe room.

“I may have talked to him before,” he said. “I don’t know”.

Asked if he’d ever discussed “a coordinated effort to overturn the results of the election” with Mr Trump, the congressman replied: “I have no idea where you’re talking about”.

“I have no idea what that is. Of course not,” he added.