“I had a lot of folks that obviously weren’t happy about that,” he acknowledged about his anti-Trump vote after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. “And some of them even have talked to the press publicly and said they weren’t going to vote for me in the primary — but would vote for me [in the] general.”
As Valadao put it, the Republicans he’s alienated and Democrats he may have won over with his stance makes for “a little bit of a wash.” Parts of his specific recipe for avoiding the political blowback that walloped his fellow pro-impeachment House Republicans aren’t easy to replicate, however: They call for a little Kevin McCarthy and a lot of breathing room from other GOP lawmakers.
The House minority leader, who’s also Valadao’s district neighbor, has sought to protect his fellow Californian by urging Trump to not get involved, according to multiple people close to House leadership. Those people, requesting anonymity to describe private conversations, say the GOP leader began emphasizing to Trump before the 2020 election how tough of a district Valadao holds.
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