Donald Trump's Enemy Is Making a Comeback

Former Representative Justin Amash, a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, announced he is running in Michigan's Senate race, shaking up the GOP primary in an election that could determine which party controls the Senate in November.

Amash, who represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress from 2011 to 2021, announced his Senate campaign in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday morning. The former congressman was a Republican until 2019, leaving the party to become an independent. Amash later changed his party affiliation to Libertarian.

During his tenure in Congress, Amash built a reputation as a libertarian-leaning conservative willing to break from his party on some issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and foreign policy. He also frequently criticized Trump and was the only House Republican to vote in favor of impeachment in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

He plans to run as a Republican in the Senate race, joining several high-profile candidates including former Congressmen Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer, in the race to replace Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat. The race is viewed as a toss-up and a must-win for Democrats to hold control of the Senate.

Amash wrote that he is running to ensure that Americans "have the personal and economic freedom to pursue their own ends, and that Michigan needs a "principled, consistent constitutional conservative in the Senate."

"Regardless of who wins the White House and Congress, the United States will remain deeply polarized. What we need is not a rubber stamp for either party, but an independent-minded senator prepared to challenge anyone and everyone on the people's behalf," he wrote.

Newsweek reached out to Amash's campaign for comment via email.

Thomas Ivacko, executive director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek on Thursday that Amash has an "authenticity that is not particularly common among politicians" that could "help him stand out in a crowded field."

"People like a fighter who is willing to take on those in power, as Amash has done. He has an independent streak and willingness to take a stand on principles that might help him have staying power if he could find his way back into office, but I'm not sure that will be enough to help him get into office in the first place," he said.

Still, Ivacko said Republicans who have "stood up" to Trump may face a "sharp uphill climb in the GOP primary." He noted that it remains unclear how recent turmoil in the state GOP will affect turnout among

He said the "safest route" for candidates may be to embrace Trump, pointing to Meijer, who voted to impeach Trump after the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol but has backed off the criticisms amid the Senate primary.

"It will be interesting to see how Amash might navigate that challenge and whether he will stay true to his principles or not," he said.

In a statement on Thursday, the Michigan Democratic Party knocked Amash for having an "extensive record of leaving Michiganders behind," highlighting his opposition to abortion, supporting the 2017 tax cuts and stance on healthcare.

"Michigan Republicans' brutal infighting is getting nastier by the day. Their caustic showdown will leave them with a badly damaged nominee who is out of touch with Michigan families," the statement said.

What Has Justin Amash Said About Donald Trump?

Amash was critical of Trump's candidacy in 2016 and continued raising concerns about his conduct following a report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian interference in the election.

"Mueller's report describes a consistent effort by the president to use his office to obstruct or otherwise corruptly impede the Russian election interference investigation because it put his interests at risk," Amash wrote on X in 2019. "Some of the president's actions were inherently corrupt. Other actions were corrupt—and therefore impeachable—because the president took them to serve his own interests."

Also in 2019, he wrote in a message to Republican lawmakers that "excusing [Trump's] misbehavior will forever tarnish your name."

"To my Republican colleagues: Step outside your media and social bubble. History will not look kindly on disingenuous, frivolous, and false defenses of this man," he wrote.