Trump urges primary challenge against key DeSantis backer Chip Roy

Former President Trump suggested late Monday that a Republican should try to primary Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who has backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the 2024 primary, even though the filing deadline already passed.

“Has any smart and energetic Republican in the Great State of Texas decided to run in the Primary against RINO Congressman Chip Roy. For the right person, he is very beatable,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “If interested, let me know!!!”

Observers quickly noted, however, that the filing deadline for a candidate to get on the ballot and challenge Roy was Dec. 11.

In response, Roy shared on social media supportive messages from other Republicans who pointed to his conservative voting record.

“I stand with @chiproytx,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a screenshot of Trump’s message. “He fights for what he believes and he’s one of the most conservative members of Congress. I can tell you with certainty that this shortsighted effort to intimidate Chip will not work.”

The former president has frequently called for primaries against Republicans he deems disloyal, including prominent lawmakers such as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Trump has had a long-running feud with Roy, a conservative congressman who is a member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Roy was one of a few Texas Republicans who voted against overturning the 2020 election results, and he objected to seating House lawmakers elected in the states where Trump and his allies claimed there was election fraud. Roy’s argument at the time was that if the former president and his allies claimed the results were fraudulent in those states, the down-ballot results should also be questioned.

Trump went on to criticize Roy when he sought a leadership post in the House Republican conference.

Roy has in recent months been among the most prominent House supporters of DeSantis’s presidential bid, even as many of his colleagues line up to support the former president.

Trump is comfortably leading DeSantis in national primary polls and in state level polls with less than a month to go before the Iowa caucuses. A recent CBS News poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters found 58 percent backed Trump, while 22 percent backed DeSantis.