In January, far-right Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) drew a great deal of criticism from Democrats for admitting that he wouldn't do anything with a bipartisan border security deal if it would benefit President Joe Biden politically in any way. Nehls' critics slammed him for prioritizing partisan politics and the MAGA movement above all else.
The Daily Beast's Riley Rogerson profiles Nehls in an article published on March 11, emphasizing that the MAGA congressman isn't shy about saying "the quiet part out loud."
"Even by the standards of a party run by a man who demands nothing less than total allegiance," Rogerson explains, "Nehls' support for Trump — along with his penchant for attention-grabbing stunts to profess it — is notable. First elected in 2020, Nehls is a poster child for a new Republican Party that incentivizes its foot soldiers to behave like Trump, and often punishes those who do not. However candid and brazen Nehls may seem, those who have observed him know he understands this calculus."
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Rogerson points that Nehls has never prioritized reaching out to the center; in 2020, he made no secret of the fact that his top priority was "standing with President Trump." And he was a staunch Trump loyalist well before he ran for Congress.
Rogerson also describes some of Nehls' performative antics.
"As Fort Bend County sheriff in 2017," Rogerson notes, "Nehls hunted down a truck with a bumper sticker that said, 'F*** Trump and f*** you for voting for him.' Nehls threatened to charge the truck's owner with disorderly conduct, sparking a free speech scandal…. Last Thursday, when Biden addressed Congress, Nehls stood in the back, showing-off a t-shirt adorned with Trump's mugshot and the rallying cry 'Never Surrender.'"
Rogerson adds, "Wearing a blazer and an American flag bow tie around his neck — without a collar — Nehls looked like a MAGA fever dream come to life. He appeared ready to pounce at every Biden slip-up."
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Read the Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).
