I often disagree with Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., but I’ve been disturbed by the idea that he should be run out of the Republican Party just because he believes President Trump committed impeachable offenses.
Amash is basically a libertarian Republican who I’d agree with on a number of domestic issues but disagree with vehemently on a number of areas of foreign policy. There are plenty of ways for other Republicans to challenge him on all of his stances that deviate from the broad consensus within the party, including on the issue of impeachment. But the reaction to his comments has been over the top and signals that no issue is more important to congressional Republicans than demanding total fealty to Trump.
It’s one thing to disagree with Amash’s conclusions. But at the end of the day, they boil down to disagreements over the implications of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, the definition of obstruction of justice, and the threshold for impeachable offenses. This isn’t about corruption on the part of Amash that warrants pariah status.
After years of bucking the party on a number of votes that clash with his libertarian beliefs, Amash’s comments about Trump have triggered a primary challenge. If he gets ousted by voters in a primary, so be it. But the idea that the Freedom Caucus, a group he joined at its founding, would move to condemn him, is an embarrassment. In theory, the Freedom Caucus was started to fight for limited government in a party that often fell short. At a time when the federal debt exceeds $22 trillion, you’d think they’d reserve some of their fire and brimstone for Trump given his unwillingness to tackle the entitlement programs at the root of the problem. Instead, they’ve turned into the Praetorian Guard for Trump.
