Mike Huckabee says establishment Republicans need to 'go home' if they can't 'play offense'

Former governor says "country club Republicans" need to get out of Washington if they won't "get something done."
Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump, 2016

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday that establishment Republicans in Congress should "go home" if they can't "get something done" by making aggressive political moves including demanding investigations into federal agencies. 

"Don't sit around and just enjoy the fact that you're in Congress and have someone punch the elevator button for you," Huckabee said in a shot at established Republican politicians on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show on Tuesday.

"If you're not going to get something done, then go home. This is truly a time to go big or go home," he argued.

Huckabee argued that if Republicans fail to call for the investigations of the agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice they should leave Capitol Hill. 

"Everybody gets a chance to put the bat in their hand and walk to the batter's box, and take a swing," Huckabee said. "And if the Republicans don't have the guts to go to the batter's box and play offense, they shouldn't be there. We didn't elect them, just so that they could go and sit still and try to make nice.". 

"To those who are the globalist, who are the multinational corporation, dependent Republicans, the country club Republicans, the one that want to make sure they get to hang out with all the swells at the Georgetown cocktail parties—I'm ready to tell them that if this is not your kind of party and you don't want to put America first, adios," he said, adding: "Go find Liz Cheney."

With Donald Trump set to make a major announcement tonight about possibly running for president in 2024, Huckabee said Trump himself should return to his 2016 message. 

"I would hope that he would point out that we did come together in his election in 2016," Huckabee said. "And that frankly, the only way Republicans have a play going forward, is that we put America first and remind everyone that we are the party of the working class."