By Michael Ge
Representative Devin Nunes is set to retire from the House of Representatives by the end of 2021 in order to take on a new job as CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group. During the Trump administration, Nunes emerged as a staunch defender of Donald Trump. While the former president was under scrutiny over an investigation into his ties with Russia, Nunes cemented himself as a Trump loyalist by leading efforts to oppose the inquiries. Nunes also attacked critics of Trump and even filed several lawsuits. His loyalty towards Trump led him to be awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2021.
Nunes’s Fresno-based district being set to become much more competitive after redistricting may have also contributed to his decision to retire. It had previously been reported that Nunes would not be seeking reelection to an 11th term in 2022. Despite his lack of previous experience, Trump praised him and said he would, “make an excellent CEO.”
This is part of a recent attempt by Trump and his supporters to fight back against what they perceive to be the tyranny of large social media companies. This has been especially exacerbated by Trump being banned from several social media platforms, including Twitter, which he used infamously.
Nunes will have his work cut out for him once he takes charge of the company. In addition to expanding the company, he also has to deal with a crisis. The Trump Media & Technology Group has already come under scrutiny from the SEC for how it has conducted its financing deal. There remains much to be seen about what happens next with Nunes and Trump Media.
