Former President Donald Trump ripped Rep. Anthony Gonzales (R-OH) on Saturday as “bad news” at a campaign rally in Ohio for the congressman’s Republican primary challenger, Max Miller.
“He’s a grandstanding RINO who is not respected in D.C. who voted for the unhinged unconstitutional impeachment witch hunt,” Trump said as his crowd of supporters booed.
Gonzalez was among 10 Republican members who voted to impeach Trump after the January 6th riots on Capitol Hill.
Ohio Republicans did not react favorably to his decision, censuring Gonzales and calling for him to resign.
During a rally in Ohio, Trump recalled when his staff would tell him that Gonzalez called the White House and asked for a ride home on Air Force One on one of his frequent trips to home to the state.
Trump said he was willing to host Gonzales, even though he did not know him very well.
“I said, ‘What the hell, he’s asking, so let him ride,'” he recalled.
He said Gonzales repeatedly requested to ride on Air Force One with President Trump to Ohio.
“The next time I heard his name, next time, he was impeaching me!” Trump recalled as the crowd booed again.
“It’s a character trait that is not too good,” Trump added. “He’s a sellout, he’s a fake Republican and a disgrace to your state. I will tell you that.”
He called for his supporters to send a giant “red wave” of Republicans to Washington, DC, in the midterms, but not Gonzalez.
He’s not the candidate you want representing the Republican party. He’s the candidate of Liz Cheney, another beauty,” he added.