Michigan Rep. Justin Amash told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday that he left the Republican Party due to longstanding concerns of a “pretty rigid” system in Congress.
"I think this term in Congress has really shown how bad it can get. ... But over the years, I've seen that people are just falling in line behind the leaders, including people in my own [Freedom] caucus. which I left."
Earlier this week, President Trump attacked Amash on Twitter.
Amash waved away the criticism and said he plans on running as an independent.
"I think he's really identified what I talked about in my op-ed which is he thinks that people owe loyalty to him. But people are elected to Congress with an oath to support and defend the constitution. Not an oath to support and defend one person, the president who happens to be from your own party."
