A local Republican leader in the Pennsylvania suburbs was removed from his position on the Montgomery County Republican Committee on Monday night for his outspoken criticism of former President Donald Trump
The incident comes just days after he was allegedly “swatted” at his home after voicing the same concerns on cable news.
Until Monday night, Matthew McCaffery served as a Republican committeeperson for Upper Merion, a Philadelphia suburb famous for Valley Forge National Historical Park—the Revolutionary War site where George Washington trained the Continental Army.
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McCaffery was a vocal supporter of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, 6 ABC reported, but after Trump clinched the nomination, he began openly speaking about endorsing the Democratic nominee.
Last month, McCaffery penned an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer, announcing his opposition to the Republican candidate due to his disparagement of veterans during his first term. McCaffery specifically cited his comments about former Sen. John McCain, an Air Force veteran and former prisoner of war in Vietnam.
“I got involved in the Republican Committee in 2022 to try to turn the tide,” McCaffery told CNN on Friday. “I want to get good Republicans elected to office, especially here in Montgomery County, and as long as Trump is on the top of the ticket, we’re just going to keep losing.”
Later that same evening, McCaffery and his wife were woken up by police officers at his front door.
“It’s midnight and somebody's pounding on my door, what the heck could this be?” McCaffery told ABC Action News. “Me and my wife met at the top of the stairs and I was like, ‘I think we're being swatted.’”
Security camera footage from the incident shows armed police officers searching McCaffery on his front porch while the Republican leader holds both arms in the air.
A spokesperson for Upper Merion Township confirmed to the Daily Beast that police were called to McCaffery’s home on Friday. “Our officers checked the residence and found no issue at the location. The incident is an active criminal investigation and we will not speculate on motives.”
McCaffery, however, was certain he was “swatted.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind. Apparently, I ruffled somebody’s feathers somewhere. And I hope that the perpetrator is caught,” McCaffery told the local station.
Despite the drama over the weekend, the Montgomery County Republican Committee still moved to oust him at a disciplinary meeting on Monday night.
“The Committee felt this to be a very straightforward case,” the committee’s chair Christian Nascimento said in a letter McCaffery later posted on X. “Your very public continuous disparaging remarks against President Donald J. Trump and endorsement of Kamala Harris is in clear violation of MCRC’s bylaws.”
The local committee also cited McCaffery’s “frequent comments and interviews with the press,” and his “lack of remorse” for violating the rule.
“When asked why you would not resign from your positions, you stated that in all your time working, you most likely violated bylaws and never resigned—both in the U.S. Marines and in the private sector,” the letter reads. “The Committee felt this line of commentary illustrates your apathy towards your actions.”
The Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. McCaffery could not immediately be reached when contacted on social media.
