Michigan congressman Justin Amash is leaving the Republican Party.
In an op-ed written for Washington Post op-ed Thursday morning, the House Member who represents a district on the west side of Michigan and called for the impeachment of Donald Trump says in his write-up that his decision (among many reasons) comes after the GOP‘s failures to hold the President accountable, more specifically in what was outlined in the Mueller Report.
“Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party. No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us. I’m asking you to believe that we can do better than this two-party system — and to work toward it. If we continue to take America for granted, we will lose it.”
“The Republican Party, I believed, stood for limited government, economic freedom and individual liberty — principles that had made the American Dream possible for my family. In recent years, though, I’ve become disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it. The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.”
Amash, who is a staunch right-wing libertarian, has faced an onslaught of criticism since his tweets in May calling for the impeachment of Trump, so much so he’s been shunned by the GOP, left the Freedom Caucus and is now facing a primary challenger in his own district.
It’ll be interesting nonetheless to see where Amash goes beyond this.
Staying true to his beliefs and perhaps being one of the last conservative members in Congress, many are speculating that Amash could be lining himself up for a presidential bid whether that be joining a primary bid against Trump this cycle or running as an independent.
