Michigan state Rep. James Lower said Monday his 2020 GOP primary opponent, incumbent Rep. Justin Amash, has “more in common with [Democratic Rep.] Rashida Tlaib” than with his district’s constituents.
In an interview with Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle,” Mr. Lower criticized his Republican opponent after Mr. Amash repeated his claim that President Trump “engaged in impeachable conduct.”
“He doubled down on it today. He doubled down on the comment saying the Mueller report indicated [Trump] should be impeached. There is nobody besides Bob Mueller that would’ve liked to come out with that conclusion,” the Michigan Republican said, referencing special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
“Even he couldn’t come to that conclusion. It is completely ridiculous. At this point, Justin Amash has more in common with Rashida Tlaib than the average Republican primary voter in the district,” he said, referring to Mr. Amash’s fellow Michigan representative who has called for the president’s impeachment.
After watching a clip where Mr. Amash dismissed his challenger as “not serious,” Mr. Lower said he will “beat him on this issue but also on the fact that in 10 years in Congress, he’s gotten one bill passed and it was renaming a post office.”
“Completely ineffective,” Mr. Lower added.
Mr. Amash became the first and currently only Republican to say Mr. Mueller’s report outlined “impeachable conduct” by Mr. Trump.
He also tweeted that Attorney General William P. Barr “has deliberately misrepresented Mueller’s report” and that “few members of Congress have read the report.”
Republicans quickly blasted Mr. Amash’s comments, with the House Freedom Caucus he co-founded condemning his comments and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying he “wants to have attention.”
“He’s been in Congress quite some time. I think he’s asked one question in all the committees that he’s been in. He votes more with Nancy Pelosi than he ever votes with me,” Mr. McCarthy said.
Mr. Amash responded to his comments, saying: “I think everyone knows he’s lying. That’s typical Kevin.”
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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