California's Republican Representative, Devin Nunes, is resigning his political office in order to become the chief executive officer of former President Donald Trump's new media company, the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). TMTG plans to launch its own social media platform, TRUTH Social.
"Recently, I was presented with a new opportunity to fight for the most important issues I believe in," wrote Nunes in an email to his constituents.
Nunes has long been a staunch ally of the former president, coming out loudly in support of Trump's narrative during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Nunes, who has served in Congress for 19 years, would have faced re-election in 2022, an election that analysts say would have been virtually impossible for him to win.
However, Nunes' resignation comes as a surprise. Nunes was serving as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee and was also poised to take the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, the group that writes tax and health care policy for the nation. Other politicians, as well as analysts, expected Nunes to move to a more winnable district rather than stepping away from political service entirely.
One person who says they weren't surprised by Nunes' resignation is the Democratic candidate who ran against Nunes in 2020 and will be running for his seat in 2022, Phil Arballo. Now the seat will be filled via special election.
"What we know about Devin is he's not going to work for anything," Arbollo said in an interview prior to Nunes' announcement.
Nunes wrote to his constituents that he would be leaving his office at the end of 2021, well before his term would have ended.
"The time has come to reopen the Internet and allow for the free flow of ideas and expression without censorship," Nunes is quoted in a TMTG press release. "The United States of America made the dream of the Internet a reality and it will be an American company that restores the dream. I'm humbled and honored President Trump has asked me to lead the mission and the world class team that will deliver on this promise."
During his time in office, Nunes unsuccessfully attempted to sue Twitter
However, a Virginia Circuit Court Judge ruled that Twitter cannot be held liable for posts made on its site, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This law states that social media companies are immune from suits regarding posts made on their sites.
As well as the Twitter suit, Nunes also filed suits against The Washington Post, CNN, The Fresno Bee.
Nunes had better luck with his efforts as the Intelligence Committee chair and Trump's most loyal ally. He successfully created a united Republican front against impeachment efforts and also defended Trump against the 2016 election allegations as a member of the investigation.
According to the New York Times, giving up such an influential position as well as the opportunity to gain even more control as a member of the Ways and Means Committee clearly shows that Nunes believes the true power over the Republican party lies with Trump.
"Devin understands that we must stop the liberal media and big tech from destroying the freedoms that make America great," Trump is quoted in the TMTG press release.
Viewing Nunes as a champion of the freedom given by the First Amendment is a bit odd considering his history of lawsuits against social media platforms. Nunes' 2019 lawsuit against Twitter regarding the speech of users on the platform alleged that the site favors posts by Democrats over those made by Republicans. This claim has been debunked by multiple sources.
"As part of its agenda to squelch Nunes' voice, cause him extreme pain and suffering, influence the 2018 Congressional election, and distract, intimidate and interfere with Nunes' investigation into corruption and Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential Election, Twitter did absolutely nothing," the suit reads regarding Twitter's choice not to remove criticism, accusations, and jokes made at the politician's expense.
As proof of the alleged abuse against Nunes "that no human being should ever have to bear and suffer in their whole life," the suit included crude images of Nunes with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, tweets stating that Nunes had brought "shame" to his family, and tweets saying that the lawmaker had been voted "Most Likely to Commit Treason" in high school.
