Former President Trump slammed Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) on Friday after Gonzalez announced that he would not seek reelection next year.
Gonzalez was one of Trump’s staunchest GOP critics in the House and called the ex-president a “cancer” on the country as he announced he was leaving Congress. He had also voted to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Trump typically goes after GOP critics, in part to send the message that others should not speak out against him. The former president has sought to keep a tight grip on his party amid speculation that he could run for the White House again in 2024.
“RINO Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who has poorly represented his district in the Great State of Ohio, has decided to quit after enduring a tremendous loss of popularity, of which he had little, since his ill-informed and otherwise very stupid impeachment vote against the sitting President of the United States, me,” Trump said, using an acronym for “Republican in name only.”
Gonzalez was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. On Thursday night, he announced that he would forgo a reelection bid, choosing to bow out of contention rather than face a Trump-backed primary challenge next year.
via joemiller