Justin Amash Smacks Down Speculation That He’s Endorsing Biden: ‘It’s Not Me. Come On’

By Sarah RumpfAug 16th, 2020, 10:47 pm
 
Justin Amash Commits to Impeachment

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Rep. Justin Amash, the former Republican-now-Libertarian who represents Michigan’s third congressional district, will not be voting for Joe Biden for president.

Normally, that would not be headline-making news, but Amash’s name started trending on Twitter after a CNN appearance by former Ohio Governor and 2012 Republican presidential candidate John Kasich.

CNN host Wolf Blitzer asked Kasich if he expected a “significant” number of Republicans to vote for Biden, and Kasich replied  that a “prominent Congressman is gonna come out, and declare” an endorsement for Biden — “I think he’s gonna do it tomorrow.”

Social media immediately began speculating about whom Kasich was talking, with Amash, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) frequently mentioned.

Dave Weigel of the Washington Post tweeted one such guess, noting that both Amash and Hurd had decided not to run for re-election — in other words, did not have their immediate political futures tied up with Trump’s.

“It’s not me,” Amash replied about a half hour later. “Come on, Dave. How long have you known me?” Amash also expressed skepticism that it would be Hurd either. Amash also tweeted that he did not support Trump, and was going to vote for Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian Party candidate.

CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel seems to have solved a bit of the mystery, tweeting late Sunday evening that she had spoken again with Kasich and he “clarified this is a former GOP member of Congress.”

Amash added several additional tweets late Sunday, stating that he was “so sick of partisans,” and “not interested in partisan…BS” from any of the parties. “A candidate earns my vote individually,” he concluded.

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com

Filed Under:
Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law & Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on the BBC, MSNBC, NewsNation, Fox 35 Orlando, Fox 7 Austin, The Young Turks, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and other television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe.