Rep. Brian Mast, Who Wears His IDF Uniform to Congress, to be Next House Foreign Affairs Chair

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), an outspoken supporter of Israel and one of the most ardent opponents of a two-state solution in the House, is set to become the next chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee following a surprise vote on Monday by House Republican leadership.

Mast's upset victory, which now must be ratified by the GOP conference, marks a clear shift from the tenure of outgoing Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) — a more moderate and internationalist dealmaker — to a firebrand conservative.

Mast beat out more establishment-aligned candidates who were believed to be favored — Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Ann Wagner (R-MO) — as well as Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), for the slot in a surprise victory.

President-elect Donald Trump helped push Mast to victory, personally calling members of the GOP steering committee, which voted for Mast, to pressure them to support the Florida legislator, a source familiar with the situation told Jewish Insider.

WATCH: Trump pledges to restore the power of the Israel Lobby over Congress during "fighting antisemitism" event with pro-Israel megadonor Miriam Adelson.

"You're gonna end up winning because you're going to have the president, okay?" pic.twitter.com/QKtV4tDxEl

— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) August 16, 2024