Representative Peter Meijer lost his Michigan primary battle against John Gibbs Tuesday, leading former President Donald Trump to celebrate the defeat of yet another Republican who voted in favor of his impeachment.
Meijer, who voted in favor of establishing a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection and said prior to the primary that he does “not for a second” regret his impeachment vote, conceded to Gibbs early Wednesday morning.
Gibbs, an official who served within the Trump administration, had the backing of the former President and received a congratulatory phone call following the victory.
“I’ll see you soon,” Trump told him. “I’m very proud of you. That’s a great job.”
John Gibbs took a call early Wednesday, Aug. 3, from former President Donald Trump congratulating him on his victory over Congressman Peter Meijer in the GOP primary.
“I’ll see you soon,” Trump said. “I’m very proud of you. That’s a great job.” pic.twitter.com/QnCiqYkOOV
— Muskegon Chronicle (@MuskegonChron) August 3, 2022
Peter Meijer Suffers Defeat, Trump Celebrates
Gibbs had described the primary defeat of Peter Meijer as “a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican party,” noting that the Republican congressman “betrayed his voters” by voting in favor of impeachment just days after being sworn into Congress.
Nobody could have been happier about the result than Trump.
“Fantastic night in Michigan! Tudor Dixon will be a great Governor. John Gibbs WON with a big surge in the end,” he wrote on his Truth Social media platform. “Not a good time for Impeachers – 7 down, 3 to go!”
Dixon also earned an endorsement from the former President and will now face Democrat incumbent Gretchen Whitmer in the gubernatorial race in Michigan following her primary win.
Trump-endorsed Tudor Dixon has won the Republican primary for Michigan governor.
She’ll face off against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in one of the most competitive races we’ll see in November. https://t.co/iOJeIdyHek pic.twitter.com/i0VXeozrN1
— POLITICO (@politico) August 3, 2022
“Endorsements don’t get any more powerful or conclusive than the Endorsements of last night,” Trump wrote in another post. “I wonder if anyone will write or report that? Just asking?”
Meijer joins Representatives Tom Rice, who was soundly defeated in the Republican primary for South Carolina’s 7th District in June, and Adam Kinzinger (IL), Anthony Gonzalez (OH), Fred Upton (MI), and John Katko (NY), who all decided to flee Congress after voting to impeach Trump, as six of the “7 down” referenced by the former President.
Trump may be counting on Liz Cheney’s (WY) ouster as well, as she trails her opponent by 22-points in a primary scheduled less than two weeks away.
“Friday’s Casper Star-Tribune/Mason-Dixon poll revealed Hageman leads Cheney by 22 points (52 to 30 percent). Eleven percent are undecided. According to previous polling, Hageman is leading in the polls by 28 and 30 points.” https://t.co/abpGolgKO7
— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) July 17, 2022
Trump Still Holds Power in the GOP
While the rate of impeachment voters being ousted from Congress is fairly high, it hasn’t been perfect.
Representative David Valadao (R-CA) fended off a primary challenge in June, though Trump did not endorse any candidate in the race.
Meanwhile, Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) managed to earn a place amongst the top two in their district’s crowded fields, besting their Trump-backed opponents and meaning they will survive and advance to the general election.
U.S. Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse were leading their pro-Trump challengers despite backlash over their votes to impeach the former president. https://t.co/7LpjKt0o8A
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) August 3, 2022
Still, as Fox News reports, Tuesday’s results show Trump’s “immense grip over the Republican Party remains firm.”
They cite as further evidence victories by Blake Masters, who won the GOP Arizona Senate primary, and Mark Finchem, who won the Republican nomination for Arizona Secretary of State.
Masters moves on to Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in November in a key battleground state race that may determine if Republicans are able to win back the Senate majority.
Kari Lake, the Trump-backed former TV news anchor leads her primary for Governor of Arizona, though the results are still too close to call.
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