Rep. Mark Meadows May Be Joining Trump Administration After Turning Down Reelection Bid

One of President Donald Trump’s key supporters in Congress, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), has announced his intent to not seek reelection in 2020.

Over his eight years on the Hill, Meadows has earned a reputation as a hardline conservative which, at times, has put him at odds with Republican leadership. He made something of a name for himself when he repeatedly butted heads with former Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner (Ohio) on policy, eventually playing a key role in Boehner being removed from the position. Meadows has also been a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act since its initial proposal.

In more recent times, Meadows quickly put himself into Trump’s good graces, eventually becoming an important ally to the president. When the controversial Hollywood Access tape emerged ahead of the 2016 election, in which Trump could be heard talking about sexually assaulting women, Meadows was one of the first Hill Republicans to leap to his defense. This came at a time when many other Republicans chose to distance themselves from Trump’s campaign.

Between 2017 and 2018, Meadows also served as founder and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, an influential role among conservatives on the Hill.

Although Meadows was not explicit in what his political future holds, during his Thursday announcement, he said that his “work with President Trump and his administration is only beginning… I’ve always said Congress is a temporary job, but the fight to return Washington, DC to its rightful owner, We The People, has only just begun.”

While Meadows has previously dismissed any suggestions that he intends to run for Senate in 2022, when Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) plans to step down, it is not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. However, the phrasing Meadows used in his announcement could be seen as hinting that he may soon find himself joining the Trump administration in what capacity that may be remains to be seen, though.

When asked if he plans to serve out the remainder of his term, Meadows fueled speculation that he may be joining the Trump team: “At this point, I plan to serve the people of western North Carolina until it’s decided that I can best serve the president and the American people in a different capacity. And so while there’s no immediate plans, there’s certainly discussions that have occurred and potentially could occur in the future.”

It is unlikely that Meadows’ decision to resign next year is motivated by a concern over his re-electability, as he comes from a heavily Republican district in North Carolina.