Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH) was ousted Monday by members of the House Freedom Caucus. The decision came after the congressman endorsed Chair Rep. Bob Good’s (R-VA) Trump-backed primary challenger, John McGuire, last month.
According to POLITICO, Davidson was found to be “not in good standing” with the caucus. This typically befalls members who do not pay their dues or who are frequently absent from meetings.
The vote for ousting the congressman was reportedly 16–13, meaning that about 35 members of the House Freedom Caucus did not attend the meeting or abstained from voting.
The Virginia congressman and other members of the House Freedom Caucus viewed Davidson’s endorsement of McGuire over Good as a betrayal. Davidson made his choice because of Good’s previous support of Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid.
Davidson’s removal falls into a trend of Trump-aligned congressmen being ousted from the caucus. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was kicked out last summer, and, according to Axios, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) has also been “increasingly alienated” by the House Freedom Caucus.
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Nevertheless, Davidson maintained that he made the right decision and wrote in a post on X, “Congress will soon be a better place without Bob Good, as will Freedom Caucus.”
An anonymous source told POLITICO, “Only the Freedom Caucus and a lame-duck Bob Good would be irrational and self-righteous enough to create a headline by kicking out a member and distracting from Joe Biden’s implosion.” They continued, “Hope Good enjoys retirement in obscurity.”
After Davidson’s exit from the caucus, Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX) chose to resign in protest.
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