Rep. Justin Amash launches presidential exploratory committee

Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) tweeted on Tuesday night that he has launched an exploratory committee to seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for president.

"Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people," the former Republican said. "We're ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together. I'm excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president."

Amash, 40, was first elected in 2010 as a tea party conservative, and was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. He has been a vocal critic of President Trump, and was the first and only House GOP member to support his impeachment. Amash left the Republican Party last July, saying he was "disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it. The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions."

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In 2016, the Libertarian Party received a record number of votes in the presidential election, with nearly 4.5 million ballots cast for the nominee, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.