JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul>
    <li class="latestnewsfooterCol">tests this for so many words</li>
    <li class="latestnewsfooterCol"><p>a very long text blah blah</p></li>
</ul>

JavaScript

var maxNum = function($elie, num) {
    var $this;
    $elie.each(function() {
        $this = $(this); 
        $this.text( $this.text().split(/\s+/).slice(0,num).join(" "));
    });
}

$(function() {
    maxNum($('li.latestnewsfooterCol'),5);
});