Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) died suddenly following an unspecified medical emergency on Monday at the age of 65, sparking messages of condolence from President Donald Trump and other Republicans, and shrinking the Republicans’ already slim House majority.
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“I want to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member — a great, great, great member — Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who passed away yesterday,” said President Trump during an address delivered to Republicans on Tuesday.
“He was a defender of everybody, and our hearts go out to his wife Jill, and his entire family,” he added.
LaMalfa’s death also drew condolences from Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who lamented the loss of his personal friend.
“Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Doug was a loving father and husband, and a staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America. Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children,” said Emmer on X.
The shock announcement of his death on Tuesday morning included few details, and Trump noted during his speech that he was not yet aware of LaMalfa’s cause of death.
Later, the Butte County, California, Sheriff’s Department issued a statement providing more details on the tragic death.
According to the department, they received a call at around 6:50 p.m. on Monday reporting a medical emergency at LaMalfa’s residence.
LaMalfa was transported to a hospital for treatment, but he passed away during emergency surgery.
The Sheriff’s Department did not specify the nature of the medical emergency that prompted the 9-1-1 call. The department’s coroner is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of death, and a forensic pathologist will perform the autopsy.
LaMalfa was a staunch Trump ally, and his final post on X was a statement in support of the president’s military action against Venezuela.
“President Trump ordered a decisive operation aimed at disrupting a narco-terror regime responsible for years of harm to the United States. Nicolás Maduro is the head of a criminal network that pushes illegal drugs into the United States, harming or taking countless American lives. Today’s surgical strike was an amazing display of American military power and precision. I am grateful no Americans were lost in the operation,” he said on Saturday.
LaMalfa’s death shrinks the already slim Republican majority in the House to just 218-213, following the recent resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in response to a disagreement with Trump.
