Trump Drops Jeff Hurd, Swings to Hope Scheppelman Over Tariff Disagreement

President Donald Trump on Saturday withdrew his endorsement of Representative Jeff Hurd for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, labeling him a “RINO” (Republican in name only) over his lack of support for the president’s tariff agenda.

In a Truth Social post, Trump announced he would endorse GOP challenger Hope Scheppelman for the state’s June 30 Republican primary. The statement read: “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, and fully Endorsing Highly Respected Patriot, Hope Scheppelman, to take his place in Congress.”

Hurd was among six House Republicans who voted with Democrats to repeal Trump’s 25% punitive tariffs against Canada. In a recent X post, he emphasized that the tariff policy harmed businesses and residents in his district and warned: “If we normalize broad emergency trade powers today, we should expect that a future president — of either party — will rely on the same authority in ways many of us would strongly oppose. Institutional consistency matters.” He added, “The Constitution does not shift depending on who occupies the White House. My responsibility is to defend the separation of powers regardless of political convenience.”

Trump’s decision followed a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling that struck down most of his tariffs, stating he exceeded his authority through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). After the court decision, Trump initially imposed a universal 10% tariff on imports and later raised it to 15%.

The president noted he had withdrawn an endorsement only once before—when he distanced himself from former Representative Mo Brooks, who lost the 2022 GOP primary after shifting positions on the 2020 election. Trump described Scheppelman as a critical care nurse practitioner and U.S. Navy veteran committed to economic growth, tax cuts, agricultural support, and American energy dominance. Hurd has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement.