Ex-Speaker John Boehner calls fellow Republican Jim Jordan a ‘political terrorist’

Former Ohio Representative says he ‘never saw a guy who spent more time tearing things apart’

John Boehner, the Ohio Republican who served as Speaker of the House between 2011 and 2015, has charged some members of his own party with being “political terrorists”.

Speaking to CBS in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, Mr Boehner said that the Capitol riot on 6 January grew out of the changes in his own party that he witnessed during his time as Speaker.

He specifically called out fellow Ohio Republican Jim Jordan when asked about the phrase “political terrorists”.

Mr Boehner said: “Oh yeah, Jim Jordan especially, my colleague from Ohio. I just never saw a guy who spent more time tearing things apart – never building anything, never putting anything together.”

He also blasted Texas Senator Ted Cruz: “I don’t beat anybody up, it’s not really my style, except that jerk… Perfect symbol, you know, of getting elected, make a lotta noise, draw a lot of attention to yourself, raise a lotta money, which means you’re gonna go make more noise, raise more money, and – it’s really, it’s unfortunate.”

Excerpts of the anticipated book have political Washington abuzz, with the former top Republican blasting and slamming his former colleagues.

On the cover of his book On the House: A Washington Memoir, Mr Boehner writes about Mr Cruz: “There is nothing more dangerous than a reckless a**hole who thinks he is smarter than everyone else.”

Mr Boehner also writes that former President Donald Trump incited the insurrection on 6 January “for nothing more than selfish reasons, perpetuated by the bulls*** he’s been shovelling since he lost a fair election the previous November”.

He added: “He claimed voter fraud without any evidence, and repeated those claims, taking advantage of the trust placed in him by his supporters and ultimately betraying that trust.”

Mr Trump responded: “Was he drinking when he made this statement? Just another RINO who couldn’t do the job!”

When pushed in the interview with CBS, the former Speaker wouldn’t go as far in criticising Mr Trump as he has with other politicians.

Asked why he didn’t also refer to Mr Trump as a political terrorist, he said: “Listen, I’m not in office anymore. I don’t have to answer all the questions that I used to have to answer, right? And while it isn’t my style, I don’t wanna use a pejorative term like that – talking about him or anybody else.”

Mr Boehner told Mr Cruz to “go f*** yourself” during an unscripted moment as he was recording the audio version of his memoir.

The Texas Senator responded during CPAC, saying “He suggested that I do something that was anatomically impossible. To which my response was: Who’s John Boehner?”

The Independent has reached out to the office of Jim Jordan for comment.