Former President Donald Trump has claimed he instructed Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) to withdraw from his primary election, a race Mills ultimately lost to former broadcast journalist Ryan Elijah. Trump made the assertion on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that Mills "wouldn’t listen" to his advice.
"We now have a great candidate, Ryan Elijah, running in his place! Ryan stands for EVERYTHING MAGA, and is respected by ALL," Trump wrote. "He has my Complete and Total Endorsement!"
Elijah, who secured a victory over the incumbent, told The Post on Wednesday that he received a congratulatory text message from Trump. "It felt like a people’s victory to us because of all the people that had backed us, and it was just very rewarding," Elijah said. He added that voters expressed frustration with the ethics violations seen in Congress, indicating a desire for change.
Rep. Mills had faced scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee over allegations including domestic assault, stolen valor, and financial misconduct. Despite these allegations, Trump had endorsed Mills in February and had not rescinded the endorsement until his recent statement.
Mills, an Army veteran, has denied any wrongdoing. The House Ethics Committee had been investigating the lawmaker prior to his primary defeat. Reports indicate that in February 2025, the DC Metropolitan Police Department investigated accusations that Mills assaulted a female Republican activist. While Mills was not charged, the police report noted that he "admitted [to officers] that the situation escalated from verbal to physical" and allegedly instructed the woman to "lie about the origin of her bruises." The ethics committee also investigated a court injunction from October 2025 that restricted Mills’ social media use and contact with a woman, reportedly his ex-girlfriend Lindsey Langston. Langston, Miss United States 2024, accused Mills of blackmail with revenge porn and sent threatening text messages, according to a report filed with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Mills was one of three Trump-endorsed candidates to lose their primaries on Tuesday. Others included Catalina Lauf in Florida’s 19th Congressional District and Wyoming gubernatorial candidate Megan Degenfelder. Despite these losses, Trump’s endorsed candidates have maintained a high success rate, with 313 out of 330 picks winning their primaries this year, according to Ballotpedia.
Elijah received backing from some of Mills’ House GOP colleagues, including Anna Paulina Luna. Mike Haridopolos, who personally recruited Elijah to run after Mills declined to resign, stated, "It was imperative for us to keep the majority, as we have to win every seat possible, and it was very clear to me earlier this year that Cory Mills would not win a general election given his challenges." Haridopolos added, "I think the best way to reform Congress is by selecting better members. Our job in Congress is to represent our community, and if you get sidetracked with personal issues, it’s hard to do the job."
Outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis had previously indicated his lack of support for Mills, stating last week, "I have not endorsed Cory Mills and I do not support Cory Mills."