Donald Trump: Anthony Gonzalez ‘Decided to Quit After Enduring a Tremendous Loss of Popularity’

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Harlingen, Texas on Januar
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump slammed Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) for quitting his primary reelection campaign against Trump-endorsed candidate Max Miller.

Trump said:

RINO Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who has poorly represented his district in the Great State of Ohio, has decided to quit after enduring a tremendous loss of popularity, of which he had little, since his ill-informed and otherwise very stupid impeachment vote.

“Good riddance to Anthony,” Trump explained. “He can now get himself a job at ratings-dead CNN or MSDNC!”

“This is no loss for Ohio or our Country and, most importantly, we have a great candidate who was substantially leading Gonzalez in the polls, Max Miller, who I have given my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump continued. “Max is a tremendous person who will represent Ohio well.”

Max Miller on Friday thanked Trump for the ringing endorsement. “Thank you for your support Mr. President!!!” he said:

Upon presumably hearing of Gonzalez’s decision to quit on Thursday, Miller tweeted that he looks “forward to the future of this campaign as we continue fighting alongside President Trump to unite the MAGA movement in taking back the House with America First fighters.”

“The Biden Administration must be put in check!” he added.

Max Miller speaks at a rally with former President Donald Trump at the Lorain County Fairgrounds on June 26, 2021, in Wellington, Ohio. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Gonzalez, however, could not announce his retirement without taking one more shot at Trump. Trump is “a cancer for the country,” Gonzalez told the New York Times on Friday. “I don’t believe he can ever be president again,” Gonzalez continued. “Most of my political energy will be spent working on that exact goal.”

In 2021, Gonzalez was one of ten Republicans to vote to impeach Trump. As a result, Gonzalez was censured by the Ohio Republican Party and asked to resign in May. Gonzalez refused. The committee said their demand was in opposition to “the unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment proceeding against President Donald J. Trump.”

Gonzalez on Friday defended himself, calling the Republican Party “toxic.” He told the Times, “Politically the environment is so toxic, especially in our own party right now.”

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) walks down the House steps after a vote on March 11, 2021. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) walks down the House steps after a vote on March 11, 2021. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

On Thursday, Gonzalez originally cited the need to spend time with family as his reason for retiring but admitted to the Times he was not willing to work his “butt off” to defeat Miller and Trump’s fundraising machine.

“You can fight your butt off and win this thing, but are you really going to be happy?” Gonzalez asked. “And the answer is, probably not.”

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø 

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