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By Luis Sanchez, Tha Hill
Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) said that he is leaving Congress in part because all he is ever asked about is President Trump, according to CNN.
"No matter what I say or do, I feel all I do is answer questions about Donald Trump rather than health insurance or tax policy," Costello told CNN.
Costello announced in March that he would not run for reelection, blaming the partisan political environment, including the actions of Trump.
"I feel, increasingly, that if you're a member of Congress, they assume that you're not good," Costello told CNN.
"They assume that you're not telling the truth. No matter what you do, someone's out there locked and loaded to say something disparaging, false, mean, in an attempt to have other people not like you," he added.
The young moderate has broken with the GOP's leadership and the president on a number of issues, including gun control and repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Costello noted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that redrew his district, in a move Republicans believe will make the district more Democratic, was also part of the reason he decided to leave Congress.
"I'm 41. I have an 8-month old. I have a 4-year old. I just lost half my congressional district. The state Supreme Court decided that they were going to try and take me out," Costello charged.
However, he said he would miss the camaraderie he had with other representatives and the special moments that come with being a congressman.
"There is the occasional pinch-me moment. There's the occasional bang-my-head-against-the-wall moment, too, but there's the occasional pinch-me moment," he said. "That is something that I'll certainly miss."
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