Following his announcement over the weekend that he would retire after just two terms, Ryan Costello reflected on his time in Congress during an interview with Jim Newell for Slate.com.

It didn’t take long for Costello to recognize the difficulties he would be facing after the election of President Donald Trump. And after the recent redistricting decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the 41-year-old has decided to withdraw from pursuing re-election.

Costello explained that some of the events over the last year – particularly Trump’s controversial tweeting habits – also helped him make the decision. He believes that, for Republicans in swing districts, the tweets have made “threading the needle” among swing voters virtually impossible.

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Costello said he has enjoyed his time in office, though, despite criticism from both ends of the political spectrum. He pointed to the fight over healthcare as one of the most “intense” experiences of his political career.

“I wish more of my days were spent at press conferences talking about” healthcare policy, he said, “rather than whatever Trump said or tweeted. It’s the latter stuff that just wears on you.”

Read more about Ryan Costello at Slate.com here.

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