Matt Gaetz Splits With Donald Trump

House Republican Matt Gaetz has broken ranks from Donald Trump to endorse the reelection campaign of Representative Bob Good, chair of the conservative Freedom Caucus. This is despite Trump backing a rival candidate and sending the Virginia congressman a cease-and-desist letter over his campaign images.

Good, who endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary, is facing Trump-endorsed Republican candidate John McGuire, currently a Virginia state senator. Newsweek contacted the Washington D.C. office of Rep. Matt Gaetz and Donald Trump campaign representatives for comment outside of usual office hours.

Since assuming office in January 2017, Gaetz has been one of Trump's most-outspoken and consistent supporters in Congress. In October 2023, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate aimed at then-speaker Kevin McCarthy, leading to his ousting from office and eventual replacement by Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson.

On Tuesday. Gaetz shared an X, formerly Twitter, post from another user and Trump supporter who wrote: "I speak for all of MAGA [Make America Great Again] when I say, we don't want another McCarthy plant in Congress. We want Bob Good, one of the best legislators doing the people's work in that disgusting swamp." Gaetz added, "Vote for @RepBobGood," the handle of Good's personal X account.

Trump hit out at Good and endorsed McGuire in a May 28 post on his Truth Social website, in which he said: "Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA. 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. The damage had been done!

"I just want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and the person that can most help me do that is Navy Seal and highly respected State Legislator, John McGuire, a true American Hero," Trump added.

Just days later on May 31, the former president's team sent a cease-and-desist letter to Good. It instructed him to stop using Trump's image in his campaign, according to The Hill, with the political website saying that it had obtained a copy.

Trump attorney David Warrington wrote: "To be clear, neither you nor your campaign are authorized to use President Trump's name or the Campaign's to falsely imply their support of your candidacy.

"Nor are you or your campaign authorized to claim that you represent or are otherwise associated with President Trump or the Campaign," the attorney added.

Warrington said: "Producing and displaying materials that give the false impression that President Trump is supportive of your candidacy is a fraud on the voters of Virginia's 5th Congressional District."

The letter was accompanied with a photograph of a campaign sign supporting Good, which featured his name next to Trump's.

Once DeSantis dropped out of the Republican presidential race, Good endorsed Trump. In May, he traveled to court in New York City to support the presumptive GOP presidential nominee in his Stormy Daniels hush-money case.

On May 30, Trump was convicted in the case on 34 counts of falsifying business documents, which prosecutors said he did to conceal the payment of hush money to Daniels, an adult film actress, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump branded the trial rigged and is widely expected to appeal.

Gaetz immediately hit out at the verdict on X, posting: "This verdict is the corrupt result of a corrupt trial, a corrupt judge, and a corrupt DA. We will stand with President Trump now more than ever to save the country."