Former President Donald Trump has endorsed a primary challenger to the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, R-Va., saying the congressman has “turned his back on our incredible movement.”
Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social reports Tuesday morning that he is endorsing state Sen. John McGuire, who is challenging Good in the June 18 primary. Trump wrote that Goode “has been constantly attacking and fighting me up until recently,” in a veiled reference to Goode being one of the few members of Congress to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the presidential race.
Goode endorsed Trump back in January, but the former president wrote that it was “too late.”
“The damage has been done!” Trump added. “I just want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and the person who can help me the most to do that is Navy Seal and highly respected State Legislator, a true American Hero, John McGuire.”
Good’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But his campaign website now shows that Trump is actually endorsing him, including in a section titled “Who’s Backing Bob” that Trump is endorsing him starting in 2022.
McGuire welcomed Trump’s endorsement and thanked the former president Writing in X and “We can do better than good,” he wrote.
Both McGuire and Goode have sought Trump’s support in recent days, with both men traveling to New York earlier this month to support Trump in his ongoing litigation in the hush money case.
With the Republican base very loyal to the former president, Trump’s support is coveted in the GOP primaries. But some lawmakers have defeated Trump opponents in the past, including Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington state, who again faced a Trump-backed opponent, and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who won Trump’s endorsement this year. Good for you former GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman was ousted In 2020, though, Riggleman had Trump’s endorsement in the race.
Riggleman later went on to serve as a consultant to the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riots and Trump’s role in the incident.
The maroon seat in Virginia’s 5th District, which covers Charlottesville and stretches to the state’s southern border, has attracted a lot of outside spending. Republican groups spent about $10.7 million on ads in the race, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact. Goode drew the ire of his Republican colleagues last year after he voted to fire former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Isabelle Schmeler and Alec Hernandez contributed.