Establishment Republicans are still working to make Donald Trump’s life as difficult as possible.
But Trump isn’t about to let them get away with it.
And Donald Trump dropped the hammer on this RINO traitor.
Resignation leaves Republicans with slim one-seat majority
Establishment warmonger Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced on March 22 that he wouldn’t seek re-election this fall.
Gallagher heading for the exits came after he drew the ire of conservatives who promised a Primary challenge when he sided with Joe Biden’s open-borders agenda and voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world,” Gallagher wrote in a statement announcing his resignation. “I will forever be proud of the work I did on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.”
But Gallagher had a deep betrayal in mind.
Gallagher announced his resignation would take effect on April 19.
That date is vital because it’s after the day by which the Governor of Wisconsin can schedule a special election, which means the seat will stay vacant until the next Congress gets sworn in on January 3, 2025.
Republicans will now hold a slim one-seat majority until several special elections are held to fill other vacancies.
Gallagher rejects entreaties to serve out his term
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) tried to persuade Gallagher to stick it out through the end of his term by telling him that there were very few mandatory days of attendance left in this Congress.
But a source close to Gallagher told the Washington Examiner that he was unmoved, saying he kept Johnson in the loop “throughout this process, including before this decision was announced and his departure date was agreed upon.”
“His decision has not changed,” the source told the Examiner.
MORE: A source close to Rep. Gallagher tells @scrippsnews the Rep. "has been in touch with Speaker Johnson and House Republican leadership throughout this process, including before this decision was announced. I’m not going to get into details of their private conversations." 2/2
— Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) March 28, 2024
Donald Trump blasts Gallagher
Some conservatives believe establishment RINOs like Gallagher – who view funding the war in Ukraine as their highest calling in Washington, D.C. – are resigning in order to make it more difficult for Republicans to hold on to their majority.
Donald Trump picked up on this undercurrent and posted on Truth Social that their treachery wouldn’t be forgotten.
“Never forget our cowards and weaklings! Such a disgrace,” Trump wrote.
Conservatives aren’t going to miss the likes of Mike Gallagher, as establishment squishes can be replaced by actual conservatives who think securing America’s border is more important than Ukraine’s.
