GOP Rep. Devin Nunes to leave Congress to lead new Trump media company

WASHINGTON — Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., one of former President Donald Trump's most loyal defenders, is leaving Congress to become chief executive officer of the Trump Media and Technology Group, NBC News confirmed on Monday.

"Congressman Devin Nunes is a fighter and a leader. He will make an excellent CEO of TMTG," Trump said in a statement released by the company. "Devin understands that we must stop the liberal media and Big Tech from destroying the freedoms that make America great. America is ready for TRUTH Social and the end to censorship and political discrimination.”

The San Joaquin Valley Sun previously reported that Nunes was retiring.

Nunes, who's in his 10th term representing a district in California's Central Valley, served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for four years until Democrats took control of the House following the 2018 midterm elections. From that post, he became a staunch defender of Trump against allegations that the former president conspired with Russia to win the Oval Office.

"As the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, with the entire weight of the legacy media and Washington establishment bearing down on him, Devin stood by his convictions on behalf of his constituents and hardworking Americans across the country," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a statement Monday. "And every step of the way, Devin was proven right. There is no better person prepared to compete head-to-head and lead an alternative to the big tech and big media cartel that has carried water for the Democrat Party for years than Devin."

Nunes, 48, is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and was a contender to lead the powerful tax-writing panel starting in 2023 if Republicans were to win back the House in the midterm elections.

His decision to head for the Capitol exit comes despite optimism among Republicans, based on historic trends and the GOP's gains in Virginia and New Jersey elections last month, that they will take control of the House when voters across the country go to the polls in November.

But Nunes' political fortunes recently came into doubt after the state's independent redistricting commission released draft maps last month that would have jeopardized his re-election chances.