President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that former South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy could not join his legal team to fight impeachment until January.

Gowdy reportedly accepted an invitation by the White House on Tuesday to assist in the impeachment inquiry led by Democrats against Trump. The following day Fox News “terminated” Gowdy as an on-air contributor for the network. (RELATED: Fox News ‘Terminates’ Trey Gowdy)

“Trey Gowdy is a terrific guy. I think there’s a problem with, he can’t start for another couple of months because of lobbying rules and regulations. So you’ll have to ask about that,” Trump said to reporters outside the White House, according to CNBC.

Someone in West Wing badly wanted a win internally and put out Gowdy before it was a done deal. So it was quickly done yesterday and then had to be undone. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 10, 2019



Maggie Haberman of the New York Times notes, “Gowdy is unlikely to ever join in the capacity he was hired for. It is not unlike when DiGenova was announced and then unannounced. Someone in West Wing badly wanted a win internally and put out Gowdy before it was a done deal. So it was quickly done yesterday and then had to be undone.”

The former representative from South Carolina became known for his role as chair of the House oversight committee. He supported investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack.

Gowdy decided to not run again for the 2018 midterm election after serving 8 years in the House of Representatives.