Infighting is roiling conservative House members — with Virginia's GOP Rep. Bob Good, leader of the House Freedom Caucus, reportedly at the center of a fight threatening his leadership.
According to CNN, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., has accused Good of coming to Washington "to be famous." The outlet noted Good was 1 of 8 House Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023.
"Bob Good didn't come here to govern. He came here to be famous," Van Orden told CNN. "Bob Good's wearing our jersey, and he's not on the team."
"If you look at what we have not been able to accomplish in this Congress, it's predominantly because of Bob Good and his ilk," Van Orden charged, the news outlet reported.
Good shrugged off Van Orden's attack during a campaign trip in his Virginia district over the weekend alongside Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, CNN reported.
"They've never heard of Derrick Van Orden. They could care less what Derrick Van Orden thinks," later telling the outlet that questions about his Republican colleagues turning against him are "stupid."
"You come to these things, and you ask questions that nobody here cares about," he told CNN. "You bring up Derrick Van Orden, which is a joke."
"RINOs, establishment moderates do nothing to influence Republican primary elections," Good added. "Conservative, courageous warriors like those endorsing me today and being here with me today are the ones who my constituents care about."
Good's opponent, state Sen. John McGuire, who is endorsed by firebrand Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., disagreed.
"If you are helping the Democrat team take out the Republican team, who is the RINO?" McGuire asked, CNN reported.
McGuire announced he was challenging Good when he endorsed GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump in the presidential primary. After DeSantis dropped out of the race, Good announced he was endorsing the former president.
"I think the Trump team recognizes that I am a genuine Trump supporter," Good told the Washington Post. "I've said many times that he was the greatest president of my lifetime. I supported him in 2016. I supported him in 2020."
The Trump campaign has seemed unsure.
"Bob Good won't be electable by the time we get done with him," Chris LaCivita, Trump's campaign manager, told Cardinal News in January.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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