During an interview that aired as part of CNN’s State of the Union over the weekend, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) slammed former President Donald Trump as an “enormous political loser” and questioned why any Republican interested in winning elections would follow after him. Gonzalez added that, if Trump runs for the presidency again in 2024, he’ll work diligently towards keeping him out of office — although he clarified that his plans would include just about everything but voting for Democrats. Still, the Congressman suggested options including rallying behind a primary challenge to Trump.
Gonzalez has faced steep criticism from the pro-Trump part of the GOP after he voted to impeach Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection after the Capitol riot in January. Gonzalez was one of 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment from the total of over 200 Republicans in the House. In the Senate, seven of the 50 Republicans there ended up backing conviction — not enough to hit the required threshold.
Gonzalez told CNN host Jake Tapper as follows:
‘The impeachment was the hardest vote, for sure. In order to get me to vote for an impeachment, any impeachment, I have to believe that there was a grave assault on the country, committed by the sitting president, whoever it is. And so it was deeply sad to come to the conclusion that I did, and to feel like I could no longer trust the president of the United States, even for a few days, to be the commander-in-chief of our military. I felt like I had no choice in the matter. I had to do what I felt was right to protect the country.’
As for the path ahead for both the GOP and country, Gonzalez added the following:
‘The country can’t survive torching the Constitution. We have to hold fast to the Constitution. That needs to be the bedrock upon which we build our party and our movement… We have to be a party of truth. And the cold, hard truth is Donald Trump led us into a ditch on January 6. The former president lied to us. He lied to every one of us. And in doing so, he cost us the House, the Senate, and the White House. I see, fundamentally, [Trump as someone] who shouldn’t be able to hold office again because of what he did around January 6, but I also see somebody who is an enormous political loser. I don’t know why anybody who wants to win elections going forward would follow that. I don’t get it ethically. I certainly don’t get it politically.’
Watch Gonzalez below:
