Ken Buck Takes Aim at Donald Trump After Suddenly Leaving Congress

In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Tuesday, Republican Representative Ken Buck threw a jab at former President Donald Trump after the Colorado congressman abruptly resigned from his congressional post.

"I'm resigning my seat and creating a vacancy in my district," Buck said. "Everywhere I go in Colorado, Dana, I hear that people are not happy with Trump, and they're not happy with [President Joe] Biden. And I think we need to change our electoral laws here. And I have a passion for that."

Context

Buck, a former Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor, has represented Colorado's 4th District since 2015. Before Tuesday, he had announced his intention to retire from Congress and the end of his current term.

However, on Tuesday, Buck revised his retirement plans, stating that he will depart his office at the end of next week. This will leave the House with a narrowed GOP edge of 218-213 until January.

What We Know

On Tuesday, Robert Hur, special counsel who investigated Biden's handling of classified documents, testified before lawmakers about the inquiry amid questions raised over Hur's portrayal of the president's mental fitness, as Hur defended his inclusion of the remarks.

The hearing has also stirred Republicans to compare the Biden inquiry to Trump's Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, as the ex-president faces 40 federal felony charges, accused of unlawful retention of sensitive materials after leaving the White House in January 2021 and of obstructing federal attempts to retrieve them. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump and other Republicans have suggested that Biden not facing prosecution was proof that the DOJ is "weaponized" against the former president.

During CNN's interview, Buck referenced the hearing, stating, "I think this place is dysfunctional. For example, I am the number third-ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I haven't even asked my questions yet. Forty, 50 people have gone before me. It could be personal, but a lot of this is personal."

"And that's the problem. Instead of having decorum, instead of operating in a professional manner, this place has just devolved into this bickering and nonsense and not really doing the job for the American people," Buck added.

Newsweek has reached out to Buck's office and Trump's spokesperson via email for comment on Tuesday.

Views

Speaking on his decision to retire earlier than planned, Buck cited the chaotic atmosphere at the U.S. Capitol over the past few months.

"It is the worst year of the nine years and three months that I've been in Congress and having talked to former members, it's the worst year in 40, 50 years to be in Congress," Buck told CNN. "But I'm leaving because I think there's a job to do out there. This place has just devolved into this bickering and nonsense and not really doing the job for the American people."

Buck's exit caught House Speaker Mike Johnson by surprise, saying that he had not heard from Buck about his decision ahead of time, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, from Politico reporter Olivia Beavers. Johnson also said that he plans to talk with the outgoing congressman soon.

"I didn't know," Johnson said, according to Beavers.

Buck's office told Beavers that the congressman had called Johnson and left a voicemail about his decision 30 minutes before announcing his resignation.

What's Next?

Numerous candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in Buck's district. Notably, Representative Lauren Boebert, who has represented the 3rd District in Colorado since 2021, recently sought the 2024 nomination in the 4th District after concerns grew over her reelection prospects.

Boebert has faced criticism over her district switch, as it has been widely viewed as an attempt to avoid diminished odds of reelection in the 3rd District, where she would have faced a strong primary challenge from Republican Jeff Hurd. Boebert has defended the move, saying it's the "right decision for those who support our conservative movement."

Update 3/12/24, 4:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.