Former President Donald Trump is looking to stir up a primary challenge against a House Republican from Florida, openly disregarding calls from his own party not to get involved with GOP lawmakers’ reelection efforts. 

In a late-night post to Truth Social on Sunday, Trump called for “any great MAGA Republicans” to challenge Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) as she seeks a second term representing Florida’s 15th Congressional District. It’s not clear what prompted the recent call, but Lee was previously caught in the former president’s crosshairs after initially backing Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) presidential bid over Trump. 

Lee later switched her endorsement to Trump after DeSantis suspended his campaign. 

“Any great MAGA Republicans looking to run against Laurel Lee in Florida’s 15th Congressional District? IF SO, PLEASE STEP FORWARD!” Trump wrote. 

Trump’s call to challenge a Republican incumbent comes in sharp contrast to recent calls from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for Republicans not to get involved with other lawmakers’ primaries, urging instead to project a sense of unity ahead of the 2024 election. 

Trump’s challenge to Lee was met with some pushback from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who also endorsed DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary. Massie decried Trump’s call for a primary challenge, urging his fellow Republican colleagues to “call out these ridiculous bullying tactics.”

“This is unhelpful and unwarranted,” Massie posted on X. “[Lee] is a conservative thoughtful member of the judiciary committee. She endorsed DeSantis for President but then endorsed Trump when DeSantis got out of the race.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Despite Johnson’s call to remain unified and not interfere with incumbent Republicans’ reelection efforts, several GOP lawmakers have injected themselves into other members’ primaries. One such example is Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who has campaigned with a number of Republicans challenging his colleagues, arguing the incumbents are not conservative enough. 

Lee does not face any challengers in the state’s primary in August. The deadline to qualify for the GOP primary is not until next month. The Florida Republican has not responded publicly to Trump’s comments, and Lee’s campaign has not responded to a request for comment by the Washington Examiner.