A GOP representative refused to denounce Donald Trump—even when the former president (and current nominee) called for the termination of the U.S. Constitution.
Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) told ABC’s This Week host George Stephanopoulos that he would support whoever the Republican nominee is in 2024, even if Trump is that person. It came a day after Trump called for a new election on Truth Social: “Do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”
“Well, again, it’s early,” Joyce said, almost trying to reassure the anchor of his sanity. “I think there’s going to be a lot of people in the primary. I think at the end of the day, whoever the Republican then the pick (sic) I’ll fall in behind.”
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Stephanopoulos seemingly couldn’t believe his ears. “Even if it’s Donald Trump?” he asked. Joyce affirmed his answer, but he stressed he didn’t think Trump would dominate the primaries as he did in 2016.
“I just don’t think that at this point he’ll be able to get there, because I think there’s a lot of other good quality candidates out there,” Joyce said.
The answer held little weight for Stephanopoulos. “That’s an extraordinary statement. You can’t come out against somebody who’s for suspending the Constitution?” he said.
“Well, he says a lot of things,” Joyce said, noting Trump had no ability to suspend the Constitution. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s ever going to happen. So you’ve got to accept that fact from fantasy. And fantasy is that we’re going to suspend the Constitution and go backwards. We’re moving forward, and we’re going to continue to move forward as a Republican majority and as a Republican conference.”
Joyce chairs the Republican Governance Group, a group of self-described moderate House Republicans. That group includes outgoing Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who derided Trump’s statement in a tweet.
“With the former President calling to throw aside the constitution, not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative. This is insane. Trump hates the constitution,” he wrote. “Right @GOPLeader@EliseStefanik@Jim_Jordan ?”
