Former GOP Rep. Will Hurd said he refuses to lie about being in support of former President Donald Trump, even if it risks his ability to get on the stage as a GOP presidential candidate in the upcoming primary debate.
“I’m not going to support Donald Trump. I recognize the impact that has on my ability to get access to the debate stage, but I can’t lie,” Hurd told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday.
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“It would be easy to say, ‘I will do it,’ and then, when it comes down, change your mind. But I just — I can’t do that.”
Hurd represented Texas’ 23rd congressional district from 2015 to 2021 ― the district that includes Uvalde, where the massacre at an elementary school recently occurred. Hurd was once the sole Black Republican in the House and has been a staunch Trump critic since 2016. He has said that Trump is a “failed politician” and may even be too old to run for the presidency.
Hurd officially pitted himself against Trump in June by announcing his bid for the 2024 presidency. But as a requirement for the GOP’s first primary debate next month, candidates must pledge to support the eventual Republican party nominee, among other requirements.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with former President Donald Trump and a number of other GOP hopefuls, are all seeking the top spot for the 2024 presidential election.
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“I have taken one oath, and that’s to protect the Constitution. I take one pledge. That’s when I put my hand on the heart and pledge to the flag of the United States,” Hurd said Sunday, adding that he recently took just one vow, his wedding date last year.
Hurd’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
