This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan announced his departure from the Republican Party, citing his growing disillusionment with party politics and the two-party system's threat to American principles and institutions.
Amash, a 39-year-old libertarian with a contrarian streak, had been a vocal critic of President Trump, even considering a run against him in the 2020 election. His decision to leave the party makes him the only independent member of the House, with 235 Democrats and 197 Republicans remaining.
Amash's departure comes after he became the first and only sitting Republican member of Congress to support impeaching President Trump in May 2019. His assertion was based on his reading of the redacted report by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, which he accused Attorney General William P. Barr of deliberately misrepresenting.
President Trump responded to Amash's op-ed essay with a personal attack, calling him 'one of the dumbest and most disloyal men in Congress.' Amash had also faced primary challenges from conservative state representative Jim Lower and National Guard veteran Tom Norton.
Amash's essay, published on Independence Day, called for Americans to reject partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us. He quoted George Washington on the dangers of partisanship and criticized the two-party system, stating that 'modern politics is trapped in a partisan death spiral, but there is an escape.'
