Freedom Caucus chair loses Trump endorsement days after appearing at Manhattan hush money trial

Just days after Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good traveled to a Manhattan courtroom to show support for Donald Trump, the former president has endorsed his Republican primary opponent.

The ex-president’s insertion into the Republican primary race playing out in Virginia’s 5th congressional district is a sign of the heightened level of loyalty GOP members of Congress are now expected to show to their party’s presumed nominee for president, despite (or possibly due to) the onslaught of criminal charges Mr Trump now faces.

“Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday of the man who had personally journeyed miles to seek his favor just a few days ago.

“He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and ‘loving’ Endorsement — But really, it was too late. The damage had been done!”

In the same post, Mr Trump wrote he was endorsing John McGuire, a Republican running against Mr Good in Virginia’s 18 June primary. Mr McGuire, somewhat awkwardly, had joined the former president in New York on the same day as Mr Good as the two seemingly auditioned for the endorsement.

Mr Trump faces more than 30 felony charges in New York, where he is accused of repeatedly falsifying business records to hide hush money payments made to a porn star, Stormy Daniels.

“John, who fought the Cartels on the Front Line, and then came home and fought the drug dealers in Virginia, will ALWAYS PUT AMERICA FIRST,” wrote Mr Trump of the candidate, whom he said had his “total” support.

The former president is not likely to schedule a last-minute trip to Virginia to boost Mr McGuire as he did in Ohio, where his loyalist supporter