House Freedom Caucus trashes Axios report on internal rift over Brandon Gill

The House Freedom Caucus is directly rejecting a new Axios report that claims some members within the group want Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) out.A small group in the caucus is allegedly unhappy with the 32-year-old freshman lawmaker as he continues building his national profile during the midterm elections, Axios reported on Thursday without naming the disgruntled caucus members.But for those who were glad to have Gill on board, they publicly complained that the news outlet didn’t quote them. “Here’s what I said on the record that they didn’t print,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said on X before posting the statement. “Brandon Gill is proving exactly why he belongs in the Freedom Caucus. While the media invents division with anonymous sources, Gill is out there dismantling Leftist myths and rooting out corruption. The Caucus is locked in and laser-focused on the SAVE America Act, securing our border, and stopping the radicals who want to destroy this country.”Another House Freedom Caucus member specifically labeled Axios “fake news” for publishing the story based on anonymous sources.“I spoke to this reporter on the record for this story, and of course no mention of what I said,” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) wrote. “More fake news. [Gill] is awesome.”The caucus called the article “absurd” on social media while praising Gill as a “rising star” in its ranks.“The media is so desperate to distract from socialists taking over the Democrat party that they’re ginning up anonymous-source hit pieces on Republicans less than 2 weeks before the Midterms,” the conservative hard-line group said. “Don’t fall for the phony manufactured drama.”Even Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), who is not a member of the House Freedom Caucus, rushed to Gill’s defense, calling him a “patriot and a huge asset to our conference.”As of Thursday night, Gill has not responded to the report himself.BRANDON GILL’S VIRAL RISE FUELS POTENTIAL BID FOR TOP HOUSE OVERSIGHT ROLEThe Texas Republican has been busy campaigning for reelection, raising nearly $4.7 million in the third quarter alone. Gill’s office said he has donated to the campaigns of over a dozen of his fellow House Freedom Caucus members, Axios noted. He has also contributed $1.1 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee, trying to grow his influence within the broader House Republican Conference.Gill launched a bid for the top seat on the House oversight committee after Rep. James Comer (R-KY) announced he would step down as its chairman at the end of his term. Gill’s ambition appears to be a friction point with other Republicans.