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Trump Celebrates Retirement of Latest Republican Who Voted to Impeach

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An announcement made by Fred Upton, former president of Donald Trump about his retirement from Congress marked the fourth departure for House Republicans who voted in impeachment against Trump over the Capitol riot.

“Even the best stories have a last chapter,” said Upton, speaking on the House floor Tuesday morning. “This is it for me.”

Since 1986, the Michigan Republican was a member of Congress. He had previously worked in Congress under President Reagan.

According to the Detroit Free Press, redistricting forced Upton into facing Representative Bill Huizenga from the same district. In a last month statement, Trump supported Huizenga.

Upton’s public service, at least for now, will conclude at the end of the year.

RELATED: Trump Bashes GOP Rep. Who Voted For Biden ‘Infrastructure’ Bill Right To Her Face

Fred Upton voted to impeach Trump

Fred Upton’s retirement makes him the fourth Republican of ten who voted in favor of impeaching President Trump for his alleged role in inciting a riot at the Capitol on January 6 to leave rather than face another election.

“Enough is enough,” Upton declared at the time. “The Congress must hold President Trump to account and send a clear message that our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any President to impede the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next.”

In voting for a special committee to investigate the Riot, he supported Democrats once more and was among nine House Republicans that voted to discredit Steve Bannon.

In 2019, he was one of only four Republicans who supported a motion to condemn Trump after he told Squad members to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.” 

Trump issued a statement celebrating Fred Upton’s retirement.

“UPTON QUITS! 4 down and 6 to go,” he wrote. “Others losing badly, who’s next?”

RELATED: 9 Republicans Joined Democrats to Vote To Hold Steve Bannon in Contempt

What happened to all the Republicans?

Trump’s dream of eliminating each of the 10 Republicans who, like Fred Upton, voted to impeach him, may not be all that unattainable.

Three others, as we mentioned, have also announced they are leaving Congress – including Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (OH), Adam Kinzinger(IL) John Katko (NY).

Kinzinger’s departure came in part due to Democrats in Illinois unveiling a new congressional map that significantly impacted his chances of winning in 2022 – even after he allowed the party to use him to foment anti-Trump sentiments on the committee and to their voters.

What about the six other Republicans who voted for impeachment Each of their primary opponents are facing formidable challenges. Many of these challengers have been given a major endorsement by President Trump.

The Hill reports that “it’s possible that none of the 10 GOP ‘yes’ votes for Trump’s impeachment will be back in Congress in 2023.”

The potential purge of anti-Trump Republicans has, they write, created “a House GOP that is increasingly in lockstep with the former president.”

Upton also drew the ire of Trump supporters when he became one of 13 Republicans who helped pass President Biden’s $1.2 trillion ‘infrastructure’ bill back in November.

These 13 GOP members took defeat out of the jaws and gave Biden a win political when infrastructure legislation was in doubt.

Trump slammed the group, calling them ‘RINOs.’

“Very sad that the RINOs in the House and Senate Gave Biden and Democrats a victory on the ‘Non-Infrastructure’ Bill, where only 11% of the money being wasted goes to real infrastructure,” he said. “They just don’t get it!”

Upton clearly gets that he didn’t stand much of a chance against the Trump-backed candidate and opted to tuck tale and retreat instead.

“Private polling showed him getting clobbered by Huizenga,” Bill Ballenger, editor of the Ballenger Report on Michigan politics, told Newsmax.

The outlet reported that sources in Michigan indicate Upton “opted for retirement rather than face what he himself concluded was certain defeat.”