Embittered Republicans plot to knock off House GOP鈥檚 hard-right leader in Virginia primary feud

Appomattox, Virginia (CNN) 鈥� Rep. Derrick Van Orden is done with Rep. Bob Good.

Good, the leader of the House Freedom Caucus and from the speakership, has been at the center of internal聽GOP infighting that has left their party鈥檚 agenda in tatters and their conference embroiled in a bitter civil war.

Now Van Orden has joined hands with聽a band of House Republicans angling to knock Good off in his June primary by propping up his primary opponent, John McGuire 鈥� a tactic long viewed as a serious breach of protocol but one that underscores the bad blood within the House GOP.

鈥淏ob Good didn鈥檛 come here to govern. He came here to be famous,鈥� Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, told CNN. 鈥淏ob Good鈥檚 wearing our jersey, and he鈥檚 not on the team.鈥�

Van Orden added: 鈥淚f you look at what we have not been able to accomplish in this Congress, it鈥檚 predominantly because of Bob Good and his ilk.鈥�

But Good is undeterred.

As he barnstormed聽through his district聽last week with fellow House GOP hardliners, such as Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Chip Roy of Texas, Good said voters in his district don鈥檛 care what his colleague from Wisconsin thinks. And he pointedly accused many of his聽Republican colleagues in Washington of casting votes that hurt the聽country and undermine the conservative cause.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e never heard of Derrick Van Orden. They could care less what Derrick Van Orden thinks,鈥� he said of his constituents, later telling CNN that questions about his Republican colleagues turning against him are 鈥渟tupid.鈥�

鈥淵ou come to these things, and you ask questions that nobody here cares about. You bring up Derrick Van Orden, which is a joke,鈥� he said.

鈥淩INOs, establishment moderates do nothing to influence Republican primary elections,鈥� Good added.聽鈥淐onservative, courageous warriors like those endorsing me today and being here with me today are the ones who my constituents care about.鈥�

The toxic infighting that has dominated the House GOP majority 鈥� and has now landed squarely in Good鈥檚 conservative district in rural Virginia 鈥� is part of a larger battle over the direction of the GOP. As many Republicans in Washington say that compromise and consensus with Democrats is the way to govern in divided government, Good and his bloc of members excoriate such deal-cutting as they push their no-compromise approach.

鈥淭his is the most important primary in the country,鈥� said Gaetz, who led the charge to oust McCarthy and has targeted two other sitting Republicans in their primaries so far this cycle. 鈥淏ob is our mascot. Bob Good is our leader among House conservatives to get us on the same page to ensure that it is the people鈥檚 interests that rise above the special interests. They know that they hate us. But you know what, there are more of us.鈥�

In an interview on Friday, McGuire 鈥� a former Navy SEAL 鈥� said Good鈥檚 conduct is 鈥渆mbarrassing鈥� and that the congressman鈥檚鈥渘ame-calling鈥� of fellow Republicans is 鈥渟o childish.鈥�

鈥淚 believe that my opponent wants to burn it all down, no solutions聽kind of guy,鈥� McGuire said. 鈥淚 think that we聽need leaders that want to grow the party and unite our country.鈥�

McGuire added: 鈥淚f you are helping the Democrat team take out the Republican team, who is the RINO?鈥�

Good, 58, who won his first race in 2020 by knocking off a moderate GOP incumbent, , is one of four Republicans who are being targeted by members from within their own conference. In the other cases, it鈥檚 far-right Republicans maneuvering to take out colleagues they view as insufficiently conservative.

Now, it鈥檚 the center-right striking back 鈥� including allies of McCarthy and a new GOP outside group beginning to attack Good as well.

Asked if Good鈥檚 vote to oust聽McCarthy prompted the House GOP effort to defeat him, Georgia Rep. Austin Scott said:聽鈥淚t has something to do with that. But more important than that, I think, we鈥檝e got a guy who would be a good member of our team,鈥� referring to McGuire.

McGuire said he had not been recruited by McCarthy but told CNN that he has spoken recently with the former speaker and called him a 鈥渘ice guy,鈥� noting that McCarthy filled him in on 鈥渨hat goes on in Congress.鈥�

In the interview, he made clear he would have voted to keep McCarthy as speaker.

鈥淚 would have never in a million years, partnered with the other party to take out our leader,鈥� McGuire said. 鈥淚聽mean, I鈥檇 imagine if you were Nancy Pelosi, she probably said 鈥楲et me get this straight. You want to partner with us to take out your best leader who has the most leverage and the most institutional knowledge with no plan?鈥欌€�

Earlier this month, a group of mostly defense-minded House Republicans – some of whom have sparred with Good over Pentagon spending 鈥� raised big bucks for McGuire at a private fundraiser.聽At the event, House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers of Alabama called Good a 鈥渄anger to our country,鈥� according to McGuire.

Rogers didn鈥檛 want to talk about his push to knock off Good when pressed by CNN in the Capitol, saying, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any comment.鈥� His office did not reply to a request for comment on his remarks at the fundraiser.

The Trump factor

But perhaps the biggest challenge facing Good: Donald Trump. During the GOP presidential primary, Good backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, explaining he preferred a candidate who could serve for eight years in office, rather than just four more years like Trump.

Good鈥檚 support for DeSantis in the primary is now the subject of an attack ad by a new outside group, Virginians for Conservative Leadership PAC, which says: 鈥淏ob Good has no faith in Trump.鈥�

Yet as he campaigned last week, Good showed no daylight with Trump, with signs that said: 鈥淭rump, Bob Good: Keeping America Great鈥� 鈥� all as he stumped with Trump鈥檚 former chief of staff, , who compared him to the former president.

鈥淣ot only am I proud that Bob has been willing to stand up, he鈥檚 taken arrows,鈥� Meadows told voters. 鈥淚 had the privilege of serving with a president that鈥檚 taking arrows as well. And you know what? When you shy away when the arrows come, the arrows end up hitting someone else.鈥�

In the interview, Good dismissed questions about his backing of DeSantis.

Asked if he regretted his DeSantis endorsement, Good told CNN: 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you聽get with the聽present? This is a time to rally behind President Trump. My opponent wants to continue to divide people based on the past. We鈥檙e all behind President Trump. He must win. The country can鈥檛 handle four more years of Joe Biden.鈥�

But Good鈥檚 foes won鈥檛 let him forget where he stood given that he backed DeSantis until he dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses.

鈥淚 think we all hate politicians that say one thing in public and a different thing in private, and you聽can鈥檛 trust them,鈥� said McGuire, who met privately with Trump at Mar-a-Lago recently. 鈥淎nd he is proven that he can be trusted, and Trump can鈥檛 trust him.鈥�

McGuire boasted about his efforts to help Trump ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

鈥淚 made like 10 hours鈥� worth of phone calls for him there, and I put a bunch of yard signs,鈥� McGuire said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a team player.鈥�

Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, a former Trump Cabinet member who is backing McGuire, added:聽鈥淲e can do a lot better than Good,鈥澛爃e said. 鈥淲e can do great.鈥�

And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – after sparring with her GOP colleagues – has endorsed McGuire, saying Good 鈥渃annot be trusted and will work against Trump.鈥�

鈥淛ohn McGuire endorsed and supported President Trump while you stabbed him in the back,鈥� she posted on X.

Good angrily dismissed her.

鈥淣obody cares what Marjorie Taylor Greene says or thinks. And she鈥檚 a one-man show, she鈥檚 grandstanding and she wants attention,鈥� Good said.

Trump has yet to endorse anyone in the race, but one of his top advisers, Chris LaCivita, told a local Virginia news outlet in January:聽鈥淏ob Good won鈥檛 be electable when we get done with him.鈥�

Asked last week if he stood by that sentiment, LaCivita indicated his attention was elsewhere.

鈥淢y focus is on electing Donald Trump the 47th president of the United States,鈥� LaCivita told CNN when asked about Good.

Some Trump allies who back Good are trying to make sure the former president doesn鈥檛 undercut their colleague鈥檚 bid.

鈥淚鈥檝e done all I can to explain to President Trump that his agenda will be executed to its best efficacy if we have Bob Good in Congress,鈥� Gaetz said. 鈥淎 fighting Republican Party will be there for President Trump. Bob Good leads the fighters.鈥�

CNN鈥檚 Sheden Tesfaldet contributed to this report.

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