USA Politics / Elections
Congressional Elections 2018

Trump-Weary GOP Braces for a Wave of Retirements from Congressional Republicans ... Rep. Charlie Dent will not be seeking reelection. He could be the first of many.

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

NEWS & POLITICS Trump-Weary GOP Braces for a Wave of Retirements from Congressional Republicans Rep. Charlie Dent will not be seeking reelection. He could be the first of many.

Photo Credit: a katz / Shutterstock.com

President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings and erratic behavior reportedly have multiple incumbent Republican lawmakers eyeing an exit strategy.

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA), a key Republican moderate in a swing district, announced Thursday that he would not be seeking another term in office.

However, sources tell New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin that Dent’s departure is just the start of what could be a wave of retirements from lawmakers who no longer want to deal with the controversies that regularly erupt out of the White House.

“Two GOP pros msg me to say re: House retirements – this only the start,” Martin wrote on Twitter Thursday night.

Follow Jonathan Martin ✔ @jmartNYT Two GOP pros msg me to say re: House retirements - this only the start... 8:24 PM - Sep 7, 2017 138 138 Replies 841 841 Retweets 2,028 2,028 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy

In a followup tweet, Martin said that another source had chimed in to say it wasn’t only moderates who were getting tired of Trump-related drama — it seems more conservative members are getting ready to revolt as well.

Follow Jonathan Martin ✔ @jmartNYT A third GOP pro texts to say he knows of more 'not all are moderates. Conservatives are tired of this shit too' https://twitter.com/jmartnyt/status/905949975586238464 … 9:54 PM - Sep 7, 2017 77 77 Replies 725 725 Retweets 1,458 1,458 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy

“Not all are moderates,” the source told Martin. “Conservatives are tired of this sh*t too.”
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Brad Reed is a writer living in Boston. His work has previously appeared in the American Prospect Online, and he blogs frequently at Sadly, No!.