Former President Donald Trump issued a response to outgoing Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher after announcing his retirement this April.
Trump issued his remark in response to a Washington Examiner article which detailed House Republican leadership had urged Gallagher to remain in office.
"Never forget our cowards and weaklings!" Trump wrote. "Such a disgrace."
In late March, Gallagher announced he would resign the following month.
"Ater conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District effective April 19, 2024," Gallagher wrote in a statement. “I’ve worked closely with the House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker [Mike] Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party."
“Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world,” Gallagher continued. “I will forever be proud of the work I did on the Armed Services Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It has truly been an honor to serve in the House of Representatives.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson reportedly asked the outgoing Wisconsin representative not to resign and pleaded with him to do "anything he can to stay longer," citing a thin majority in the House.
A source close to Gallagher said he had been in touch with Johnson and House leaders "throughout this process, including before this decision was announced and his departure date was agreed upon," per Washington Examiner.
“His decision has not changed,” the source added.
Shortly after the announcement of upcoming resignation, Johnson issued a response referring to the Wisconsin representative as a "trusted friend and colleague."
"It has been an honor to serve alongside him," Johnson wrote.
"We will greatly miss his leadership on Capitol Hill, but we are happy for him, Anne, and their daughters as they begin the next exciting chapter of their lives," he added.
Gallagher's resignation will follow Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, who resigned on Mar. 22, leaving House Republicans with a four-seat majority.
Last December, New York Rep. George Santos was expelled from Congress, followed by former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from the House, saying he would "serve Americans in new ways."
In January, Ohio Rep. Bill Johnson announced his resignation from Congress to become the president of Youngstown University.
