Trump endorses primary challenger to Peter Meijer in Michigan

Former President Trump on Monday threw his support behind former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) official John Gibbs, who is mounting a primary challenge to Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.).

Gibbs, who served for more than two years as the acting assistant secretary for community planning and development in the Trump administration, is one of a handful of Republicans vying to oust Meijer, a first-term representative who joined nine other House Republicans in voting to impeach Trump in January.

“Meyer has been a terrible representative of the Republican Party and beyond,” Trump said in a statement, misspelling Meijer’s last name. “John Gibbs is a fabulous talent who loves the State, our Military, and our Vets. He will always protect our Second Amendment, our Southern Border, and the Police – there will be no defunding with John!”

Gibbs is a new entrant into the primary against Meijer, announcing his campaign just last week. On Friday, former Trump HUD Secretary Ben Carson tweeted his support for Gibbs.

Trump tapped Gibbs last year to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), though the Senate never confirmed him to the post. After he was nominated to lead OPM, CNN reported on a series of controversial and incendiary tweets from Gibbs, including a baseless conspiracy theory claiming that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign chair took part in a satanic ritual.

Michigan is still in the middle of redistricting, and it’s unclear what Meijer’s district could look like when the process is all said and done. Still, Trump has vowed to campaign against Meijer and any other Republican who broke with him in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.