Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) dismissed concerns regarding the potential for Donald Trump, the president-elect, to seek vengeance against his adversaries. During his appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Jordan engaged in a contentious exchange with host Dana Bash, prompted by Trump’s campaign rhetoric that indicated a desire for “retribution” for his supporters.

Jordan asserted, “People discuss retribution; the real retribution has come from the other side. For the past decade, I have been dedicated to preventing retaliation.”

Bash attempted to interject, indicating that she would address his point but emphasizing that her question pertained to Trump’s commitments to enact “retribution.” She inquired whether he would support Trump in prosecuting perceived enemies through the Justice Department.

In response to whether he believed Trump’s “retribution” would materialize, Jordan stated, “I don’t think any of that’s going to happen, because we are the party that stands against political prosecution. We oppose the use of law enforcement to target our opponents.”

The discussion then shifted to whether Trump’s team endorsed free speech, leading to a similarly intense debate about immigration when Bash questioned Jordan on which undocumented immigrants would face deportation.

Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly targeted figures such as President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, former Representative Liz Cheney, former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA), Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, promising to deliver “retribution” to his supporters.A significant portion of this, as asserted by Trump and his supporters, is viewed as retribution for his own legal challenges, which they argue were driven by political motives.