Former GOP Rep. Will Hurd said he refuses to lie about his support for former President Donald Trump, even if it jeopardizes his ability to step up as a Republican presidential nominee in the upcoming primary debate.
“I will not support Donald Trump. I’m aware of the impact this is having on my ability to access the debate phase, but I can’t lie,” Hurd told CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Union on Sunday.
“It would be easy to say, ‘I’ll do it,’ and then, when it comes down to it, change your mind. But I just can’t do that.”
From 2015 to 2021, Hurd represented Texas’ 23rd congressional district — the district that includes Uvalde, where the recent elementary school massacre took place. Hurd was once the only black Republican in the House of Representatives and has been a staunch Trump critic since 2016. He has said that Trump is a “failed politician‘ and maybe even too old to run for the presidency.
Hurd officially opposed Trump in June announced his bid for the 2024 presidency. But as a requirement for the GOP’s first primary debate next month, candidates must, among other things, commit to supporting the eventual Republican Party nominee.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with former President Donald Trump and a host of other Republican candidates, are seeking the top spot for the 2024 presidential election.
“I took an oath to protect the Constitution. I make a promise Then I place my hand on my heart and pledge the flag of the United States,” Hurd said said Sundayadding that he only recently took one vow, which was his wedding anniversary last year.
Hurd’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.