In a major victory for MAGA, Rep. Don Bacon, one of the most notorious RINOs in Congress, has officially announced his retirement after countering President Trump’s agenda at every turn, creating a major void in the House that could be filled by another RINO, an America First candidate, or, possibly, a Democrat, depending on the outcome of potential redistricting.
For background, on June 30, 2025, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), one of the Republican Party’s most outspoken critics of President Trump, announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 2026. In response, the MAGA movement celebrated Rep. Bacon’s imminent departure, calling him an “anti-Trump RINO” and making plenty of hilarious jokes about his last name. Moreover, prior to his announcement, Rep. Bacon opposed numerous key aspects of President Trump’s agenda, increasing tensions between pro-Trump conservatives and apparent RINOs.
In his official announcement, Rep. Bacon explained that he was stepping away from public office “after consultation with my family and much prayer.” He continued, “After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home.”
In addition, Rep. Bacon said that during the remainder of his time in office, he would be “focused on finishing the job,” adding, “Legislatively, I aim to work to get five agricultural bills passed that were included as part of the Farm Bill, including the increase of defenses for our nation’s food supply chain and removing barriers for the next generation of farmers seeking to establish their operations. ”
After the lawmaker announced his retirement, conservative commentator Nick Sortor published a celebratory post on X, writing, “Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) has just announced he will NOT seek re-election in 2026.” He added, “So long, you anti-Trump RINO! GTFO!” In response, members of the MAGA movement chimed in to express their relief that Rep. Bacon was on his way out.
Commenting on Sortor’s post, the X user One Bad Dude jokingly wrote, “He gives bacon a bad name.” Another commenter chimed in, “He’s the only Bacon I don’t like. There must be some massive scandal about to break if he’s dipping out.” In addition, commenters called for other anti-Trump lawmakers to leave office, with one user writing, “Maybe he can take Chuck Schumer with him.”
Previously, Rep. Bacon drew fire from President Trump’s supporters for criticizing the president’s decision to appoint Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whom the lawmaker reportedly called an “amateur.” Moreover, Rep. Bacon has also described President Trump as being “very weak on Ukraine” and “a bit of an appeaser to Russia.”
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Furthermore, according to press accounts, Rep. Bacon shot back at Trump supporters after being roasted online, reportedly calling one such commenter “an idiot” and describing himself as “the real Republican” based on his decades-long affiliation with the party. He also said, “I’d rather be a defender of the traditional conservative values than just be a team player.”
Featured image credit: Rep. Don Bacon via X