Actor James Woods, 78, announced Thursday on the social media platform X that he has ended his membership in the Republican Party and will register as an independent voter.
The announcement stunned many observers given that Woods had praised President Donald Trump just days earlier.
In a post on X, Woods shared a pointed message aimed squarely at congressional Republicans.
“I am done with the Republican Party,” he wrote.
“Between this and Thune’s refusal to pass the SAVE Act, I’m done with these uniparty traitors.”
Woods continued: “I’m changing my party affiliation to Independent. No wonder President Trump is fighting an uphill battle every day.”
The actor’s frustration centers on two specific grievances with GOP leadership.
One involves Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s refusal to advance the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
The other involves the failure of a congressional motion to subpoena immigration records connected to Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Woods attached a video to his X post featuring South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who took to the airwaves to express her own dissatisfaction with fellow Republicans after her proposed motion failed to advance in the House.
In other news, Rep. Kevin Kiley of California’s 3rd Congressional District formally departed the Republican Party on Monday, registering as an independent immediately.
The two-term congressman made the announcement during a virtual press conference with reporters, declaring, “I will be the sole Independent member of the House of Representatives.”
CBS News reported that Kiley had first signaled the shift on the previous Friday, when he filed to run for California’s newly drawn 6th Congressional District under “no party preference” — a designation that removes any party label from his ballot and from his identity as an officeholder.
On Monday, Kiley took the next step. “I’m also today asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster,” he told reporters.
Despite the party departure, Kiley confirmed he will continue to caucus with House Republicans through the end of the current term.
“That is how I was elected to begin this term,” he said, explaining his decision to remain aligned with the GOP conference for administrative purposes.
Kiley said committee assignments are linked to party affiliation, a key reason he is maintaining his caucus relationship with Republicans while holding independent status.
The switch immediately tightens Speaker Mike Johnson’s already narrow grip on the House. The House had been operating with 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats, meaning Johnson could afford only a single defection on party-line votes.
With Kiley’s departure, the chamber now sits at 217 GOP seats, 214 Democrat seats, and three vacancies.
The California Republican did not give leadership a heads-up before announcing Friday that he was leaving the party, though he said he spoke with Johnson briefly over the weekend about continuing to caucus with the conference, Axios reported.
