Conservatives lash out at Trump after he attacks Chip Roy, calls for him to face primary challenge: ‘Idiotic’
Conservatives lashed out at President Donald Trump after he took to Twitter Monday to attack Texas Rep. Chip Roy and call for him to face a primary challenge after Roy voted against a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was among the most prominent conservative figures to criticize the president, calling Trump’s tweet “idiotic.”
“Texans are widely frustrated that Washington doesn’t do its job, which is why I push back on ‘apps’ that try to skirt Congress’s Article I powers. This isn’t about me,” Cruz tweeted. “It’s about presenting a vision for the future of this country that everyone on both sides can unite behind to make sure all Americans have a better life.”
Trump’s attack on Congressman Roy is idiotic. Texans are proud of Chip for standing up for the rule of law & the interest of his constituents. Chip’s courage & backbone, standing against the tide, makes all Texans proud. He has my admiration & support. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 28, 2019
The president’s tweet, which was sent just hours after the vote on the disaster relief bill, read: “I want to congratulate @RepChipRoy on his courageous vote against the Bailout for Texas. I called him yesterday to thank him for his vote. He is one of the very few Republicans that fully understand what is going on, and that Fraudulent Bailouts are totally wrong for our great state!”
Conservatives such as Erick Erickson, director of the Resurgent and a Fox News contributor, also spoke out against Trump’s tweet.
“Chip Roy is a thoughtful, principled conservative. The fact that a few Republicans voted against the bill makes it look like they care about the Constitution and not just engaging in showmanship,” Erickson tweeted. “I understand why Trump is angry, but attacking fellow Republicans makes us weaker not stronger.”
Roy had pushed for a vote on amending the bill to include additional funding cuts, but the House voted down the proposed amendment. In his defense, Roy said the extra funds were “unrelated, pork-like items that are not necessary for disaster relief.”