Michigan Rep. Justin Amash announced he will not be running for president.
On Saturday afternoon, Amash wrote in a tweet thread that he will not be seeking the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president despite announcing an exploratory committee earlier this year.
“After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate,” Amash wrote.
After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 16, 2020
Amash defected from the Republican Party before voting for President Trump’s impeachment and became an electoral candidate of interest for anti-Trump Republicans and libertarians.
In late April, Amash became the favored presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party after announcing an exploratory committee.
“We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together. I’m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president,” Amash wrote in a tweet announcing the committee. “Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people.”
Amash, 39, was elected to the House of Representatives during the Tea Party wave of 2010. Later, he became a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
In 2019, Amash “declared his independence” from the Republican Party on the Fourth of July, accusing his GOP colleagues of holding greater loyalty to Trump rather than to his principles of limited government, free markets, and individualism.
