Politics

Justin Amash Gets Primary Challenger After Impeachment Stand

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Republican Michigan Rep. Justin Amash is now facing a primary challenge after saying President Donald Trump engaged in “impeachable conduct” demonstrated in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

Republican state Rep. Jim Lower will challenge Amash for the seat in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, Lower told the Detroit Free Press Monday. (RELATED: Justin Amash Takes It On The Chin From Conservatives After Impeachment Stand)

“Congressman Justin Amash tweets yesterday calling for President Trump’s impeachment show how out of touch he is with the truth and how out of touch he is with people he represents,” Lower said. “He must be replaced, and I am going to do it.”

President Donald Trump hit back against Rep. Justin Amash on Twitter May 19, 2019. Both images Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Donald Trump hit back against Rep. Justin Amash on Twitter May 19, 2019. Both images Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Amash became the first congressional Republican to lay out his case for impeaching the president in a tweet thread he sent Saturday.

“Here are my principal conclusions: 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,” Amash said.

After Amash’s impeachment stand, Republicans quickly made clear that Amash stands alone. (RELATED: Rashida Tlaib Is Recruiting Justin Amash To Cosponsor Bipartisan Impeachment Resolution)

Trump himself, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, and Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox all harshly criticized Amash for his statements, with Trump calling him a “loser” in a Sunday tweet.

Amash refused to support Trump when he was the Republican nominee in 2016, and has remained a frequent critic of the president since he took office. Amash was the only Republican to co-sponsor a resolution disapproving of Trump’s national emergency declaration at the southern border, claiming that it was executive overreach.

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