Virginia 5th District Republicans urge Trump to reconsider endorsing Good opponent

More than two dozen Republican leaders in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District are publicly urging former President Donald Trump to reconsider his endorsement of Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good’s primary opponent.

Rick Buchanan — chair of the 5th District Republican Congressional Committee and a Good supporter — spearheaded the open letter, which was signed by 24 other Republican leaders in the district, to “strongly urge” Trump to reconsider his endorsement of state Sen. John McGuire.

“We hope President Trump reconsiders his ill-advised endorsement and stands with the Grassroots America First supporters of Congressman Bob Good,” the Republicans wrote.

The primary in the deeply red district will take place June 18. It’s grown increasingly contentious, with some polls suggesting Good could be in trouble.

And while Good has been campaigning in the district with members of the Freedom Caucus and other allies, he also has House GOP colleagues from multiple corners from the conference campaigning against him.

Trump endorsed McGuire late last month and has continued to take swipes at Good, releasing a new video this week in which he called the Virginia Republican “someone who will stab you in the back like he did me.” Good and Trump’s camps also got into a recent back-and-forth over the former using yard signs that invoke the latter’s name.

Good first supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid in the GOP primary. He subsequently endorsed Trump after DeSantis, a former House Freedom Caucus member, ended his presidential bid.

But the 25 Republicans also wrote that the former president’s endorsement of McGuire “may, in fact, hurt the strong support of conservatives for President Trump in the Fighting 5th that he will need in November.”