Trump Rescinds Endorsement, Backs Primary Challenger To GOP Rep. After Tariff Vote

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had rescinded his endorsement of U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-CO) and would instead by backing his primary opponent, Hope Scheppelman, in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. The decision follows Hurd’s vote against aspects of Trump’s tariff policies.

Trump had previously endorsed Hurd back in October, describing him at the time as an “incredible representative” for the district. Hurd, a first-term member of Congress who assumed office last January, represents a sprawling western and southern Colorado district that includes Grand Junction and rural areas.

He previously clerked for a federal appeals court judge and practiced law before returning to Colorado to raise his family. He won the 2024 Republican nomination and general election to succeed Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who now represents the state’s 4th Congressional District.

Congressman Will Hurd speaking with attendees at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.
Photo: Gage Skidmore

The withdrawal comes after Hurd was one of just six Republican members to vote against aspects of the president’s tariff policy earlier this week.
Hurd was among a small group of House Republicans who voted in favor of H.J.Res. 72, a resolution aimed at limiting the president’s emergency tariff authority, and opposed Trump’s tariffs on Canada.

“Based on a lack of support, in particular for the unbelievably successful TARIFFS imposed on Foreign Countries and Companies which has made America Richer, Stronger, Bigger, and Better than ever before, I am hereby WITHDRAWING my Endorsement of RINO Congressman Jeff Hurd, of Colorado’s 3rd District,” the president announced in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

“He is more interested in protecting Foreign Countries that have been ripping us off for decades than he is the United States of America,” Trump said of Hurd, noting that he does not often rescind endorsements. The president concluded by stating that Scheppelman “has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and, unlike RINO Jeff Hurd, HOPE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Scheppelman, a U.S. Navy veteran with 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry, previously served as vice chair of the Colorado Republican Party. She launched her primary challenge against Hurd last June and has campaigned as a pro-Trump candidate.

The Republican primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is scheduled for June 30, 2026. The district has been held by Republicans in recent cycles, though it encompasses diverse rural and energy-producing areas where trade and economic policy resonate with voters.

Rep. Boebert previously faced upset scares in the district, which forced her to move to the more Republican-friendly neighboring district.

The withdrawal comes just a day after the Supreme Court struck down portions of the president’s ability to levy tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the administration’s policy will largely remain unchanged, however, as the tariffs were promptly reapplied under different statutes.

Trump further responded by raising the imposed global tariff rate by five additional percentage points on Saturday morning.

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