US House Freedom caucus chair faces tough Virginia primary after Trump endorses rival

Ex-president and McCarthy allies have joined to unseat Bob Good from the state’s fifth congressional district

Joan E Greve in Washington
Tue 18 Jun 2024 07.00 EDT

Representative Bob Good has accomplished the rare feat of unifying Donald Trump and allies of the former House speaker Kevin McCarthy, who are collectively trying to unseat the chair of the hard-right Freedom caucus.

Good heads into his Tuesday primary in Virginia’s fifth congressional district facing a challenge from the Republican state senator John McGuire, who has received a crucial endorsement from Trump. Good had already drawn the ire of fellow House Republicans for voting to oust McCarthy as speaker last year, but the incumbent’s job appears to be in much more serious jeopardy after Trump’s endorsement.

Trump, seemingly still outraged over Good supporting Florida governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, has praised McGuire as “a true American Hero”. Good’s eventual endorsement of Trump, which came after DeSantis withdrew from the presidential primary in January, failed to appease the former president.

“Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month. “He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and ‘loving’ Endorsement – But really, it was too late.”

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