Conservative House Freedom Caucus Members Engage in Internal Dispute

There is discord among conservative House members, with Virginia’s GOP Rep. Bob Good, leader of the House Freedom Caucus, reportedly facing a challenge to his leadership.

As reported by CNN, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., has accused Good of seeking fame in Washington. Good was among the 8 House Republicans who voted to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023.

“Bob Good didn’t come here to govern. He came here to be famous,” Van Orden told CNN. “Bob Good’s wearing our jersey, and he’s not on the team.”

“If you look at what we have not been able to accomplish in this Congress, it’s predominantly because of Bob Good and his ilk,” Van Orden claimed, as reported by the news outlet.

Good dismissed Van Orden’s criticism during a campaign event in his Virginia district over the weekend, attended by Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, as per CNN.

“They’ve never heard of Derrick Van Orden. They could care less what Derrick Van Orden thinks,” Good said, later calling questions about Republicans turning against him “stupid.”

“You come to these things, and you ask questions that nobody here cares about,” he told CNN. “You bring up Derrick Van Orden, which is a joke.”

“RINOs, establishment moderates do nothing to influence Republican primary elections,” Good asserted. “Conservative, courageous warriors like those endorsing me today and being here with me today are the ones who my constituents care about.”

Good’s opponent, state Sen. John McGuire, endorsed by Republican firebrands like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., disagreed.

“If you are helping the Democrat team take out the Republican team, who is the RINO?” McGuire questioned, as reported by CNN.

McGuire announced his challenge to Good while endorsing GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump in the presidential primary. After DeSantis withdrew from the race, Good announced his endorsement of the former president.

“I think the Trump team recognizes that I am a genuine Trump supporter,” Good told the Washington Post. “I’ve said many times that he was the greatest president of my lifetime. I supported him in 2016. I supported him in 2020.”

The Trump campaign appears uncertain.

“Bob Good won’t be electable by the time we get done with him,” Chris LaCivita, Trump’s campaign manager, told Cardinal News in January.