Trumpworld Is Shrinking as Another GOP Rep Heads for the Exits

Troy Nehls joins Marjorie Taylor Greene and Don Bacon in the growing Republican exodus from Congress

Republicans are running out of the House of Representatives like it’s on fire. The latest to bolt is Texas Congressman Troy “Stolen Valor” Nehls, who announced he’ll retire at the end of this term. And he did it in a way that makes clear who he thinks is actually in charge of the Republican Party.

Nehls said he made the decision over Thanksgiving after more than 30 years in law enforcement, military service, and six years in Congress. But the real headline came next. Before telling voters, before telling his district, he made one very important phone call.

“Before making this decision, I called President Trump personally to let him know of my plans. President Trump has always been a strong ally for our district and a true friend, and I wanted him to hear it from me first.”

There it is. Not a retirement announcement. A permission slip request.

And in a plot twist no one asked for, his identical twin brother Trever Nehls is now running to replace him. It’s not a succession plan. It’s a reboot with the same actor and a different name tag.

The GOP isn’t renewing itself. It’s recycling itself.

---

What Was That? is fully independent and runs on your support. If you want to help keep this reporting going, I’m offering 20% off your first year as a paid subscriber.

---

And here’s the part that should scare every Republican leader who still thinks they’re in charge. Nehls is not an outlier. He is part of a pattern. A trend. A stampede, even. Republicans are quitting a House they can no longer control.

Just days ago, Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she’ll be leaving Congress in January. Greene. One of Trump’s loudest sycophants. One of MAGA’s most aggressive cheerleaders. And even she bailed after Trump started torching her on Truth Social because she dared to criticize her own party on healthcare, affordability, and the Epstein Files.

Her announcement made it clear who pushed her out.

“I have too much self respect and dignity...and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for,” she wrote.

This is what it looks like when a party becomes a one-man operation. If you cross him, you’re done.

And then there’s Rep. Don Bacon, who said over the summer he won’t seek reelection either. His term runs through January 2027, but he told Axios he almost resigned early because of Trump’s proposed “peace plan” for Ukraine and Russia. A plan that was literally written in Russia, translated, and handed to Trump’s regime like it was homework they were trying to pass as their own.

So while Nehls’s exit is calm and cooperative, Greene’s is angry and bitter, and Bacon’s is basically “get me out of here,” all these retirements point to the same thing.

Mike Johnson is losing his majority and any real control of the House. The GOP conference is shrinking, splintering, and running for the exits. Seriously, at this point he’d have better luck herding feral raccoons.

This is what happens when a political party becomes an orbiting moon around one person. Trump demands loyalty, not logic. Obedience, not policy. And now Republicans have to choose: do you bend the knee or get bulldozed.

Greene chose to leave before Trump could humiliate her in a primary. Bacon chose to leave before Trump dragged him into another foreign policy disaster. Nehls chose to leave after checking in with Trump like an employee asking the boss for time off.

None of this is normal. Members of Congress are supposed to answer to voters, not a former reality show star who rage posts from the toilet at 3 am.

And the exits aren’t closing. More Republicans will follow because they see what’s coming. A House controlled by Trump, run through fear, and held together with whatever scraps of discipline are left in a conference that can barely agree on where to stand for group photos.

This is not a functional governing body. It’s a loyalty contest with office chairs.

Since you made it this far, here’s something worth grabbing before the clock runs out. 20% off your first year as a paid subscriber.

No corporate backing. No billionaire sponsors. Just independent reporting that cuts through the noise and calls out the political chaos in real time. Deals like this help keep the show running and help me keep producing episodes, breakdowns, and investigations without worrying about who I might upset.

If you want to support this work and get every episode, article, and deep dive delivered straight to you, now’s the time to jump in.