Trump wants to oust SC Republican who voted to impeach him — but supporters are fighting over his chosen replacement: report

On Thursday, The Sun Newsreported that pro-Trump activists in and around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina are fully on board with former President Donald Trump's call to replace GOP Rep. Tom Rice after he voted to impeach him over the January 6 insurrection — but are opposed to Trump's handpicked replacement, state Rep. Russell Fry, and divided over what to do next.

"Trump voters here haven’t yet coalesced around a candidate in the SC-7 Republican primary race, but many agree on two things: Incumbent Rep. Tom Rice ought to be replaced for voting to impeach Trump last year and Fry is too politically similar to Rice to be a suitable replacement," reported J. Dale Shoemaker. "'It bothers everyone to know that their champion in Donald Trump endorsed the same person just in different khakis,' said Horry County conservative activist Chad Caton. 'And that hurts people who live, die and breath this stuff.'"

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"Caton and other conservatives are so incensed by Trump’s choice, he said, that he met with Trump’s advisers at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida in an effort to convince Trump to back someone else," continued the report. "Caton said he was at Mar-a-Lago to attend a fundraiser for Washington congressional candidate Joe Kent, and used the opportunity to meet with Trump’s advisers, though he wouldn’t say who. He posted a photo from his visit of himself with Donald Trump Jr. on his Facebook page."

Rice was one of ten Republicans in the House who voted for impeachment. Many of them, like Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) have subsequently decided not to seek re-election, and Trump has sought to find primary opponents to replace all the Republicans still running, including Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).