Independent and former Republican Justin Amash took to Twitter on Tuesday to continue his attacks on the GOP and their support of President Donald Trump , echoing his many past criticisms about the direction of the Republican Party under the current president.
“Conservatives will someday face the horrible truth that the Republican Party fought so hard to justify and excuse an amoral and self-serving president, and what he gave them in return was bigger government and erosion of the principles and values they once claimed to cherish,” Amash wrote.
The following day, Amash noted that Republicans had turned to Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist No. 65 for its expression of Hamilton’s “fears of partisan impeachment” and suggested they were misled in their understanding of the essay.
“But Hamilton is not writing that passionate factionalism can be avoided. He is writing that our Constitution’s approach—charges in the House, trial in the Senate—best renders impartial justice.”
According to Amash, the current GOP is shifting away from the values the party was founded on: individual liberty, economic freedom and respecting the Constitution. Per The Hill , the 39-year-old politician revealed that he made the decision to leave the Republican Party in the current iteration of Congress.
“I’m asking you to believe that we can do better than this two-party system — and to work toward it,” he wrote in his Independence Day op-ed that announced his decision to leave the GOP.
The Michigan Representative previously issued a warned to Republicans before the House vote on the impeachment resolution, which ultimately passed. According to Amash, history will not look favorably on his GOP colleagues who continue to defend Trump. Amash also implied that such colleagues were betraying their oath to defend and protect the Constitution, claiming that they are supporting a man who is abusing the office of the presidency.
Given Amash’s outspoken views against Trump and libertarian values, he is reportedly viewed by some freshman Democrats as an ideal person to lead the impeachment trial against Trump. A Washington Post report suggested that a group of such Democrats is pushing the idea, although the decision will ultimately come down to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The reported campaign is being led by Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips, who said that Amash agreed to consider the idea if he was asked. Phillips noted that the Independent congressman has legal experience and was the “first and only” member of the GOP to take a stand against Trump.