In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday, Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) said his former Republican colleagues have thanked him behind closed doors for speaking out against President Trump.

What they're saying: Amash, who had been the only congressional Republican to call for an impeachment inquiry against Trump, says Republicans have told him "thank you for what you're doing."

"They're not saying it publicly. And I think that's a problem for our country, it's a problem for the Republican Party, it's a problem for the Democratic Party when people aren't allowed to speak out."

— Amash

Catch up quick: Amash left the GOP Thursday and declared himself an Independent, writing in a Washington Post op-ed that he was "rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us." Amash had been facing a primary challenge in his Michigan district, leaving independence as a viable avenue for him to maintain his seat in office.