Trump social media director urges primary defeat of Rep. Justin Amash

“[Trump] is bringing auto plants & jobs back to Michigan. [Amash] is a big liability,” Scavino said on his personal Twitter account. “#TrumpTrain, defeat him in primary.”

Amash responded to Scavino minutes later, accusing the Trump administration for merging with the “Establishment.”

“Trump admin & Establishment have merged into #Trumpstablishment. Same old agenda: Attack conservatives, libertarians & independent thinkers,” he said.

Richard Painter, a White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush said the Trump aide may have been in violation of the Hatch Act, a law which bars most executive branch employees from partisan campaign politics.

“This is use of official position to influence an election. Look at the photo and description underneath. Bush WH would have fired him,” Painter tweeted. “Look at the official photo on this page. Read the Hatch Act and fire this man NOW. Someone call OSC.”

The president threatened 2018 primary retribution against the conservative House Freedom Caucus, of which Amash is a member, last week after its members opposed the House Republican leadership’s plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Trump warned in a tweet that the House Freedom Caucus “will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don’t get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!”

Amash then responded to that tweet with one of his own: “It didn’t take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment.”

Amash also criticized Trump when asked by reporters if the president’s negotiating tactics are effective.

“It’s constructive in 5th grade. It may allow a child to get his way, but that’s not how our government works,” he said.

Trump has called out other House Freedom Caucus members by name. He said if Reps. Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan and Raul Labrador would “get on board” that Republicans can pass legislation on healthcare and tax reform.