One less problem for America First Republicans. On Friday, June 27, news broke that Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a vocal critic of President Trump and a consistent thorn in the side of the conservative base, will not seek re-election in 2026. For many in the MAGA movement, it felt like Christmas came early.

Bacon, often described as a throwback to the Bush-era neoconservative mold, has regularly sided with globalist priorities over the America First agenda. Whether it’s his unrelenting support for pouring billions into the war in Ukraine or his opposition to President Trump’s tough trade policies with China, Bacon has made it his mission to undermine the conservative populist wave reshaping the Republican Party.

After spending years sparring with Trump-aligned lawmakers and conservative influencers, Bacon has finally decided to call it quits. The Nebraska congressman confirmed that this would be his final term in office, signaling an end to his increasingly out-of-touch role in the GOP.

Naturally, the MAGA base erupted in celebration.

One viral post from conservative influencer Mila Joy summed up the mood:
“BREAKING: As if today couldn’t get any better… The ultimate RINO Don Bacon announces he is QUITTING Congress. Don’t let the door hit ya, Don.”

Another popular commentator, Gunther Eagleman, didn’t hold back either, writing:
“JUST ANNOUNCED: Democrat from Omaha NE, Don Bacon announces he is quitting Congress. Good f*cking riddance.”
While Bacon quickly fired back by calling Eagleman “an idiot,” the point had already landed with conservative voters.

To many in the America First movement, Bacon’s departure is long overdue. He has made a career of criticizing Trump, often parroting Democrat talking points while still clinging to the Republican label. Just last month, after President Trump called Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky “crazy,” Bacon rushed to Zelensky’s defense and blasted Trump as “misguided.” He even accused Trump of helping Putin by questioning the never-ending flow of American taxpayer dollars to Ukraine.

It’s precisely this kind of “moral superiority” and foreign entanglement mindset that the MAGA base rejected in 2016—and continues to reject today.

Rather than defend secure borders, American jobs, or the middle class, Bacon has repeatedly chosen to grandstand against Trump. That’s earned him the RINO label—and now it’s catching up to him.

Though some liberal-leaning Republicans rushed to praise Bacon as a “real Republican,” his time in Congress has been marked by political irrelevance and ideological confusion. At one point, Bacon responded to MAGA criticism by insisting,
“I’m the real Republican. I supported Reagan in 1976 at 13 years old and have been that guy ever since.”

But the truth is, supporting Reagan in the 1970s doesn’t give anyone a free pass to trash President Trump and sell out conservative voters in the 2020s.

Bacon has hinted for months that he’s tired of the job. “The dysfunction does wear on me,” he said back in May, complaining about fights within the GOP. But it’s not dysfunction—it’s transformation. The Republican Party is moving away from weak-kneed centrism and toward unapologetic populism, and Don Bacon simply doesn’t fit in anymore.

With his exit confirmed, conservative voters in Nebraska now have a golden opportunity: to elect a real America First fighter who will stand with President Trump and put the interests of the American people—not foreign governments—first.

Goodbye, Don. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.