Former President Donald Trump has announced his endorsement of former aide Max Miller to run against incumbent Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) for Congress in 2022, Breitbart reported.
Trump released a statement Friday through his Save America PAC. “Max Miller is a wonderful person who did a great job at the White House and will be a fantastic Congressman,” he wrote.
The statement continued, “He is a Marine Veteran, a son of Ohio, and a true PATRIOT. Current Rep. Anthony Gonzalez should not be representing the people of the 16th district because he does not represent their interest or their heart. Max Miller has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Gonzalez was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the riot at the Capitol in January.
Gonzalez attacks Trump
The Ohio Republican has accused Trump of inciting the riot on Jan. 6 and said the president didn’t do enough to stop the chaos once it had started.
“I like to think that no matter who is the perpetrator, whether it’s a foreign actor or domestic actor, if somebody is attacking the United States Congress, the President of the United States will step up and do everything to stop it and stop it immediately,” Gonzalez said. “Instead, we saw what amounted to escalation, indifference for a period of time and then a sort of ham-handed attempt at calming the situation that didn’t happen until hours into the insurrection.”
Gonzalez said that he believed he risked his political career when he voted to impeach Trump but insisted it was the right decision.
“You have to love your country and you have to adhere to your oath more strongly than you do your job, and I don’t know what political fate will play out,” Gonzalez said on The Dispatch podcast. “If my fate is ultimately that I don’t get to come back, I will do that at peace.”
Trump focuses on 2022
Trump has pledged to be active in the Republican Party going forward and is focusing on helping Republicans regain control of Congress in 2022.
He has also said he will facilitate primary challengers for those who voted to impeach him or have otherwise been anti-Trump in their comments and votes.
“Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First,” Trump said in a statement, Fox News reported. “We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership.”
Other candidates recently endorsed by Trump include former Trump administration press secretary Sarah Sanders for governor of Arkansas and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) for reelection in 2022.