Former Republican Praises Justin Amash, Says GOP Has ‘Failed Morally’
In an interview broadcast Saturday, former Republican Congressman David Jolly praised Representative Justin Amash for leaving the Republican Party, Mediaite reports.
Jolly, who officially left the GOP months ago, said that his and Amash’s reasons for leaving the party were not identical, but nevertheless praised the Michigan representative for abandoning what he claims is a political organization that has “failed morally.”
The Congressman said that Amash should embrace Trump’s criticism, and wear it as a “badge of honor,” adding that the Michigan lawmaker was not only rejecting the president, but “the Republican party’s embrace” of him.
“In today’s Republican Party,” he said, “we have a party that’s failed morally, failed to protect the Constitution.”
The former Republican described the rise of Donald Trump as a “political crisis,” stating that “it is fair to judge how the Republican Party has embraced him and celebrated him.”
Jolly then went on to explain his own reasons for leaving the party. He said that he had left the GOP not because of a single politician, but because he had lost trust in Republican leadership.
“I think the Republican Party has been lost for a generation. I cannot see returning to a coalition of Republican voters that would include today’s Republican leaders and be able to explain that to the daughter that caused me to reflect on this.”
As The Inquisitr reported, on Independence Day, July 4, 2019, Justin Amash declared his independence from the Republican Party.
In an op-ed written for The Washington Post, Amash criticized both Democrats and Republicans, arguing against partisanship, which he claims has taken over Congress. Quoting George Washington’s farewell address, he warned about the dangers of partisanship, urging both parties to return to following the Constitution.
The libertarian-leaning representative explained why he wants to continue his political life outside the confines of the two-party system, asking American citizens to reject it as well.
“No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us,” he wrote.
Ex-GOP Rep on Amash Leaving the Party: The Republican Party Has 'Failed Morally' https://t.co/CFS79iN4Cd
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 6, 2019
Amash was the first Republican in office to call for the impeachment of President Trump. Citing the findings laid out by special counsel Robert Mueller in his final report about the Russia investigation, Amash said that he believes President Trump had “engaged in impeachable conduct.”
Amash is already paying the price for opposing Trump. His decision to call for the impeachment of the president has caused a number of powerful donors to abandon him.
Jolly and Amash’s opinion is not shared by the electorate, however — President Trump’s approval among those who identify as Republicans is exceptionally high.
