Why won’t Brian Fitzpatrick and Scott Perry be at the RNC this year?

Two U.S. congressmen from Pennsylvania — one a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, the other who has distanced himself from Trump — are absent from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week. Both are absent for official business reasons, their offices said.

Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.) did not attend this year’s convention because he “is with his constituents at numerous scheduled events and meetings,” according to a spokesman for Perry’s office — a notable absence given Perry’s continued alignment with Trump.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), who has a history of carefully crafting his political profile, is “on a business trip with the House Intelligence Committee,” his office said.

Still, other Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers are at the RNC, including Rep. Dan Meuser, who urged convention speakers to “to tone it down”and Representatives Mike Kelly, Guy Reschenthaler, Glenn Thompson, John Joyce and Lloyd Smucker.

And the convention included an extensive list of speakers from other U.S. officials who have come to the defense and support of the former president in the wake of his felony conviction in New York and other looming legal battles. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who has cast the November election as a choice between “strength and weakness,” is the only Pennsylvania candidate scheduled to speak at the convention.

A spokesman for Perry did not provide details about the meetings or events that prevented him from attending the RNC.

Fitzpatrick, however, has a history of speaking out against the former president while toeing party lines. He voted against Trump’s impeachment in January 2021, noting that he believed it would lead to more division in the country, but a week earlier he broke away from pro-Trump Republican colleagues and certified then-President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.

Fitzpatrick, classified one of the most non-partisan members of Congress, has a history of dodging questions about Trump. A spokesman for Fitzpatrick’s campaign did not immediately respond to questions about whether attending the RNC was part of Fitzpatrick’s original schedule. He has also not endorsed any presidential race.

Perry has historically been one of Trump’s top allies

Perry’s absence from the RNC convention is notable, though there is no doubt that the congressman, who represents Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district and is one of Trump’s leading defenders in the House of Representatives, remains a staunch supporter of the former president.

Over the weekend, Perry spoke out about the attempted assassination attempt on Trump in Butler County and the subsequent investigation into any security failures. “America wants answers — without delay, drama, or games — and our leaders must deliver them … without delay, drama, or games,” he said.

After Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies in May, Perry falsely called the charges “false” and claimed the former president was wrongly accused. Monday Post About XPerry stood by his claims that Trump was wrongly accused, this time over a judge’s decision to dismiss charges in a separate case against Trump involving alleged mishandling of secret documents.

The Butler County shooting that left one person dead and two others injured has prompted calls from leaders on both sides of the political spectrum to including Perryto minimize divisive rhetoric. Perry, who admitted he needed to operate less inflammatory language, was one of 139 representatives who voted to uphold one or both of the objections to the electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania on January 6, 2021.

Perry, a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has also espoused conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. he falsely claimed that Trump was cheated and did not win the election.

The congressman will face Janelle Stelson, a television host and former registered Republican, in November, who is running as a centrist Democrat. The Cook Political Report has changed the race from “probably Republican” to “leaning Republican.”

Fitzpatrick continues to play in a restrained manner

Perhaps less surprisingly, Fitzpatrick is absent from the convention, supporting Trump. The congressman, who represents the 1st Congressional District in Bucks and Montgomery counties, held on to his seat in the purple district, positioning himself as a moderate.

Fitzpatrick has opposed Biden’s American Rescue Plan, as well as the creation of a commission of inquiry into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has also supported the Republican initiative to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.

At the same time, Fitzpatrick — who received support from Trump in 2020 — has not said whether he will support Trump in the 2024 presidential election and has not revealed whether he will attend a Trump fundraiser in Bucks County. He was one of six House Republicans to join the resolution to censure Trump.

He also opposed repealing the Affordable Care Act and was one of 13 House Republicans to support Biden’s infrastructure bill.

“You should vote for or against a bill based on the text. It shouldn’t matter who benefits politically,” Fitzpatrick told The Inquirer in November 2021.

Fitzpatrick’s voters seem to like his low-key way of maneuvering around party politics. In 2020, Fitzpatrick won a split vote, winning reelection while Biden secured the presidency.

In the November election, he is running against Democratic candidate Ashley Ehasz, whom he defeated in 2022 to win a fourth term.

Journalists Julia Terruso and Katie Bernard contributed to this article.