As he came down the center aisle of the House for his February State of the Union address, President Donald Trump shook the hands of many Republicans looking for their couple seconds of fame on national TV.
But he breezed past Rep. Chip Roy, never looking him in the eye and moving on to pose for a selfie with another Republican.
That moment summed up Trump’s rocky relationship with the Texas firebrand and, more broadly, the House Freedom Caucus. The group of roughly three dozen far-right lawmakers rose to prominence by derailing legislation and helping to force out GOP speakers. Their relationship with Trump has been complicated over the years, but their power has waned significantly as Trump’s power has grown.