Retiring GOP lawmaker rips Trump over midterm criticism

Retiring GOP Rep. Ryan Costello (Pa.) ripped President Trump on Wednesday for his criticism of Republican lawmakers who lost their reelection bids, accusing the president of being the reason why Democrats picked up more than two dozen House seats on Tuesday.

Costello, who did not seek another term and saw Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District turn blue on Election Day, wrote that having Trump “piss on [you]” after being responsible for Republican losses was too much.

{mosads}”To deal w harassment & filth spewed at GOP MOC’s in tough seats every day for 2 yrs, bc of POTUS; to bite ur lip more times you’d care to; to disagree & separate from POTUS on principle & civility in ur campaign; to lose bc of POTUS & have him piss on u,” Costello wrote during Trump’s criticism of GOP lawmakers at a White House press conference on Wednesday.

“Angers me to my core,” he added.

His tweet came as the president unloaded on GOP lawmakers like Rep. Mia Love (Utah) over Republican losses in the House, which he blamed on the unwillingness of some members to embrace him.

“I saw Mia Love, she called me all the time to help her with a hostage situation, being held hostage in Venezuela,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “But Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”

Costello’s district voted 58 percent in favor of Chrissy Houlahan (D) on Tuesday despite voting for Costello by nearly the same margin in 2016. The district supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (D) over Trump by less than a percentage point in 2016.