Republican Michigan Rep. Justin Amash was widely criticized by members of his own party after his Saturday contention that President Donald Trump has engaged in “impeachable conduct.”
“Here are my principal conclusions,” Amash, a frequent Trump critic who hasn’t ruled out running to unseat the president for the GOP nomination, wrote via Twitter. “1. Attorney General Barr has deliberately misrepresented Mueller’s report. 2. President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct. 3. Partisanship has eroded our system of checks and balances. 4. Few members of Congress have read the report.”
While Democrats like Rep. Rashida Tlaib and #NeverTrumpers like Bill Kristol, among others, were quick to praise the GOP congressman, Trump supporters and some conservatives were less than thrilled. (RELATED: 34 Democrats, 1 Republican Vote ‘No’ On Resolution To Support ICE)
GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel accused Amash of “parroting the Democrats’ talking points on Russia.”
“It’s sad to see Congressman Amash parroting the Democrats’ talking points on Russia,” McDaniel wrote. “The only people still fixated on the Russia collusion hoax are political foes of @realDonaldTrump hoping to defeat him in 2020 by any desperate means possible.”
It’s sad to see Congressman Amash parroting the Democrats’ talking points on Russia.
The only people still fixated on the Russia collusion hoax are political foes of @realDonaldTrump hoping to defeat him in 2020 by any desperate means possible.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) May 19, 2019
Voters in Amash’s district strongly support this President, and would rather their Congressman work to support the President’s policies that have brought jobs, increased wages and made life better for Americans.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) May 19, 2019
Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk promised to “primary” the person who once was one of his “favorite members of Congress.”
“Justin Amash used to be one of my favorite members of Congress,” Kirk wrote. “He used to fight for liberty and the constitution. Now he is fixated on adoration from the left & media. He ignores Trump’s WINS on every front. Amash, you have let us ALL DOWN. We will now primary you. You will lose.”
Justin Amash used to be one of my favorite members of Congress
He used to fight for liberty and the constitution
Now he is fixated on adoration from the left & media
He ignores Trump’s WINS on every front
Amash, you have let us ALL DOWN
We will now primary you
You will lose
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 19, 2019
The Daily Wire’s Ryan Saavedra broke down Amash’s argument piece by piece:
Point 1:
-Amash does not provide *any* examples of Barr lying/misrepresenting
-Both CNN & The Washington Post have reported that Mueller said nothing in Barr’s letter was inaccuratePoint 2:
-As the brilliant @Josh_Hammer notes, impeachment has a purposefully malleable standard https://t.co/g5aTFNsP9p— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 18, 2019
Point 3 & 4:
-AccurateThings to remember:
-Amash tweeted this on a Saturday & the major anti-Trump accounts immediately promoted it; this will be covered on the Sunday news shows
-In a March CNN interview, Amash *refused* to rule out running for presidentThis was a PR stunt
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 18, 2019
And then he added this:
When you are a “Republican” and these people are in your corner you know that you have issues pic.twitter.com/ETO2fOqYak
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 18, 2019
There were plenty more:
Generally appreciate Amash’s independence and bucking of partisanship but 1) and 2) here are just ridiculous. Barr didn’t misrepresent anything. And impeaching a president for “obstructing” an investigation predicated on a fraud would be preposterous https://t.co/HQF7x9UrsD
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 18, 2019
LOL, THIS IDIOT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A #NEVERTRUMP – Justin Amash becomes first Republican in Congress to call for Trump’s impeachment https://t.co/G9g882VQ2o
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) May 18, 2019
Here are my principal conclusions. Primary Rep. Justin Amash. Will not be tough.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) May 18, 2019
The only people who care what Justin Amash thinks who aren’t named “Justin Amash” have been super bored for the last couple years since weed got pretty much legalized.
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) May 18, 2019
Has Justin Amash been chatting it up with radical-left Intercept + Bulwark funder and impeachment advocate Pierre Omidyar? pic.twitter.com/eE4QFznW6b
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) May 18, 2019
.@justinamash was the only “Republican” who supported illegal aliens voting.
“Six Democrats did manage to vote in a manner noting that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to vote, while one Republican, Justin Amash (R-MI), did not.” https://t.co/agCPGTRMbJ
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) May 19, 2019
Justin Amash is the 2020 Evan McMullin. Fraudster through and through.
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) May 18, 2019
It’s a little surprising that Rep. Amash doesn’t quote the Mueller report at all in this lengthy thread https://t.co/3CEFRomcb6
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) May 19, 2019