Republicans know the 'House is effectively a super PAC' for Trump — and prefer it that way: column

Like former President Donald Trump, the Daily Beast pointed out in March that US Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), "doesn’t care about offending; he seems to relish in it. He isn’t worried about being a bully. And whether it comes to perceptions of him or Trump, Nehls doesn’t think the public should either."

The Beast's report came two months after Rolling Stone's Nikki McCann Ramirez reported that the Texas congressman "'made clear' that his motives are 'purely political'" when it came to the bipartisan border policy proposed by President Joe Biden, and blocked by hardliner House Republicans in February.

After Nehls said during a CNN interview that he wouldn't support the border bill simply because it would give Biden a win, Ramirez wrote the GOP leader's remarks "lay bare House Republicans' ultimate guiding light in their governance strategy: helping Trump defeat President Joe Biden."

READ MORE: 'I will not help the Democrats': GOP rep says he’ll torch border deal to deny Biden a win

In a Thursday op-ed written by MSNBC's Steve Benen, the Rachel Maddow Show producer draws a similar conclusion after more comments Nehls made Wednesday.

"Everything that we do in the House of Representatives should be in the best interests of getting Donald Trump re-elected," the Texas lawmaker told CNN's Manu Raju.

Benen writes:

Remember the congressman who tied Trump’s re-election bid to the GOP’s anti-Biden impeachment drive? That was Nehls. Remember the congressman who said the anti-Biden impeachment drive was about giving Trump 'a little bit of ammo'? That was Nehls.

Remember the congressman who said the Ethics Committee’s findings related to then-Rep. George Santos looked 'pretty damaging,' but the party should prioritize the size of its majority over propriety? That was Nehls, too.

The MSNBC political commentator added the GOP leader clearly "realizes that he looks more like a sycophantic Trump superfan and less like an elected federal lawmaker, but he just doesn’t seem to care."

READ MORE: 'MAGA fever dream come to life': Here’s what makes this GOP rep’s political approach so 'distinct'

Benen concludes, "As Nehls described it, the House of Representatives shouldn’t necessarily serve as part of a powerful branch of government. Rather, the House is effectively a super PAC, looking out for the interests of a twice-impeached suspected felon."

Benen's full op-ed is available here.