FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Justin Amash (R-MI), who recently tweeted his view that the Mueller report on Russia showed that President Trump had obstructed justice, arrives for a House Oversight Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Justin Amash, a frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump, said on Thursday that he was quitting the Republican Party, saying politicians have become more loyal to their parties than to the American people.
“Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party. No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us,” Amash, of Michigan, said in a Washington Post opinion piece published on the U.S. Independence Day holiday.
Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama