PoliticsOhio Rep. Jim Jordan Erupts During Tense CNN Interview With Dana Bash
Jim Jordan got riled up during his interview with Dana Bash on CNN.
Aug. 3 2026, Published 11:55 a.m. ET
Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan grew visibly angry and raised his voice during a testy CNN interview on Sunday, August 2, after being pressed by anchor Dana Bash about whether acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces a conflict of interest regarding former special counsel Jack Smith.
Jordan formally referred Smith to the Department of Justice, accusing the former special counsel of providing misleading testimony to Congress about investigative tactics, baselessly alleging that the career prosecutor “seemingly made willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact” during a deposition on his investigation into Trump’s futile efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Republicans claim Smith misled Congress and "spied" on lawmakers by failing to disclose that his team possessed text messages when he was questioned about telecom phone toll records.
'Because He's Attorney General of the United States!'
Rep. Jim Jordan snapped and shouted at Dana Bash throughout the interview.
When Bash questioned whether Blanche should recuse himself from handling that referral because he previously served as President Donald Trump’s lead criminal defense attorney during Smith's two federal prosecutions against the president, the diehard Trump loyalist snapped, “Of course not.”
As Bash pushed for his reasoning, Jordan snapped and shouted through the interview, loudly stating: "Because he's attorney general of the United States!"
Jordan and other close Trump allies maintain that the Department of Justice is acting appropriately, dismissing the idea that Blanche's history as Trump's personal lawyer bars him from overseeing cases involving his former client's chief prosecutor.
'That Has Nothing to Do With It!'
'Jack Smith is supposed to tell us the truth!' Jim Jordan shouted.
When Bash reminded him of the fact that Blanche was Trump’s personal lawyer, Jordan shouted, “That has nothing to do with it! Jack Smith is supposed to tell us the truth!”
Smith told the truth during a December 2025 deposition when asked whether the toll records he subpoenaed from senators included the contents of phone calls or text messages.
Smith answered "no," stating accurately that the toll records did not contain message contents.
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'He Should Not Recuse Himself'
Rep. Jim Jordan's interview ended with Dana Bash declaring, 'We're out of time.'
Jordan’s defense of the embattled Blanche comes as Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn blocked the acting AG’s committee vote, refusing to advance his nomination without written confirmation that a $1.8 billion slush fund — intended to compensate Trump's allies following an IRS settlement — was permanently canceled.
“If Todd wants to — if the Justice Department wants to prosecute him, that’s up to them. He should not recuse himself,” Jordan said, as Bash ended the interview with a curt, “We’re out of time."
Rep. Jim Jordan got heated during his appearance on CNN.
Blanche, meanwhile, remains the acting attorney general while negotiations stalled the confirmation process and Trump ponders pulling his nomination until Tillis and Cornyn are out of Congress.
