Texas Republican Congressman Michael McCaul announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election in 2026.
He handily won reelection in 2024, defeating his Democratic opponent by nearly 30 points.
I think Putin is testing the resolve of NATO,” McCaul said.
McCaul also criticized Israel’s attempted strikes on Hamas leadership in Qatar last week.
On negotiating with Putin Raddatz: Do you think President Trump was played, especially at that Alaska summit?
On Sunday, Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas declared that he would not run for reelection in 2026.
Another House Republican who announced their retirement from public office this year is McCaul, a former chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees. Luttrell Morgan and Rep. Don Bacon from Nebraska.
First elected to Congress in 2004, McCaul is currently in his eleventh term. He told co-anchor Martha Raddatz on “This Week” that he was “looking for a new challenge.”. “”.
“Serving in the Congress for more than 20 years has been an honor,” McCaul said, adding that he intended to serve out the rest of his term but wanted to “continue to serve the people in this country in national security and foreign policy and do what I’ve done the last 20 years: make America stronger and the world safer.”. “”.
McCaul’s district is overwhelmingly Republican and includes parts of Austin as well as the suburbs of Houston to the east. After defeating his Democratic opponent by almost 30 points, he easily won reelection in 2024.
Last month, Texas Republicans redesigned their congressional maps in an effort to win five more House seats that lean GOP in the upcoming midterm elections, marginally undermining McCaul’s district. According to Texas Legislative Council data, 60 percent of the district’s population voted for President Donald Trump under the newly drawn lines, compared to 61 percent under the previous map.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s McCaul also responded to this week’s Russian drone invasion of NATO ally Poland, rejecting Trump’s claim that the breach of Polish airspace might have been an accident.
“With all due respect to the president, I don’t believe that was an error. “I believe Putin is trying to test NATO’s resolve,” McCaul stated.
McCaul also denounced Israel’s last week’s attempts to attack Hamas leaders in Qatar.
“We requested that they engage in these discussions with Hamas,” he stated. The president stated that this shot across the bow does not, in my opinion, serve the long-term interests of either Israel or the United States. “.”.
Additional highlights from McCaul’s interview are provided here.
About Putin’s influence over NATO.
He’s interested in Poland’s and NATO’s responses. The good news is that Poland responded really well. They shot them down, but the strikes in the Arctic and the war games with Belarus near the NATO border, the Baltic states, the nuclear bombers that flew to Poland near their airspace, and the drones all demonstrate how aggressive Putin is becoming in the area. Right now, he is really exerting pressure.
Regarding talks with Putin.
Raddatz: In your opinion, was President Trump compromised, particularly during that summit in Alaska?
