GOP Rep. Nunes leaving Congress for Trump social media firm

WASHINGTON (AP) — California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, who was one of former President Donald Trump’s most ardent loyalists in Congress, is leaving the House at the end of this year to join Trump’s fledgling media company.

A statement Monday from the Trump Media & Technology group said Nunes would serve as chief executive officer, beginning in January 2022. The company is preparing to launch a social media platform intended to rival competitors, including Twitter, which blocked Trump’s account in January following the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.

In June, Facebook suspended Trump’s accounts for two years, following a finding that he stoked violence ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

“Devin understands that we must stop the liberal media and Big Tech from destroying the freedoms that make America great,” Trump said in a statement.

Nunes' decision comes at a time when his political future in California appeared in possible jeopardy — draft maps released in the once-a-decade realignment of congressional districts suggested he would face a challenging reelection in the 2022 midterms. Those maps will not be finalized until later this month.

Nunes, 48, said in a statement: “The time has come to reopen the Internet and allow for the free flow of ideas and expression without censorship. The United States of America made the dream of the Internet a reality and it will be an American company that restores the dream.”

Trump’s decision to select one of his most pugilistic defenders to oversee his new media group — instead of a seasoned business leader — makes clear that he intends to use the company for political benefit as much as for profit.

Trump announced the launch of his media company in October. The company says its plans include the creation of “Truth...