Whatever the Direction, Van Drew Can’t Escape the Specter of Navalny
Donald Trump says he would consider unleashing Russia on America’s NATO allies. Then he compares his legal troubles caused by his own strongarm efforts to overturn an election, to Russian dissident hero Alexei Navalny, apparent victim of an assassination, who died fighting Vladimir Putin, the former KGB tough guy whom Trump wants to punish our allies. That prompts an obvious question for Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2), once a member of the Democratic Party, who in 2019 said the Dems had moved too far to the left.
That question is this:
Will he switch parties again, from Republican, back to Democrat, now that the GOP has moved even farther to the left in its acquiescence to a presidential candidate comfortable with customizing a weaponized Russia against our friends?
Van Drew didn’t answer the question, posed to his office in an email by InsiderNJ.
That’s because Van Drew serves as the New Jersey state chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
He also avowed “undying support” to Trump.
So, if Trump plants the equivalent of a lip-lock on vicious Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who imprisoned the late Mr. Navalny in a Siberian Penal Colony, Van Drew’s going to be there.
Civil rights attorney and retired detective Tim Alexander, a Democrat seeking the nomination in CD-2 so he can run against Van Drew in the 2024 general election, said Trump’s comments about NATO should cause “quite a bit of concern for our nation.”
As for Trump’s self-comparison to the late Mr. Navalny, Alexander queried, “What does the former
president mean when [he initially did not condemn his death] and we saw the death under – at best – suspicious circumstances and can conclude that Mr. Navalny’s death was orchestrated by the Russian government? The absolute silence of Mr. Van Drew on this issue when he has a national footprint, when such a person as Mr. Navalny was murdered, is telling. No matter what Donald Trump says or does, Mr. Van Drew is going to live up to his pledge of undying loyalty.”
Van Drew soundly defeated him in their 2022 matchup, but Alexander wants another crack at the incumbent, arguing that the congressman has put himself in an untenable position. “It’s extremely problematic to have a representative who expresses loyalty to Trump, and not to the people of the 2nd District,” said the challenger. “They are tethered at the hip. He wants people to envision Trump alongside him. Mr. Van Drew isn’t working for us he’s for Donald Trump. He’s 100% in that corner, and that’s not a representative we should want in the 2nd District. We have three of the poorest counties in the state of New Jersey. We need economic development yesterday. One example is the wind turbine industry. Instead of figuring out how we can make this work, Mr. Van Drew put these signs all over the district saying we’ve got to kill it.”
Alexander also noted House Republicans’ continuing inability to furnish a foreign aid bill that helps Ukraine, under siege from Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
“The White House has ramped up criticism of House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson in recent days over their failure to bring up a Senate-passed bill that would provide aid to Ukraine, where conditions have grown more dire, as well as Israel and Taiwan.
“White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt said in a statement Tuesday morning that “Speaker Johnson [who was in New Jersey yesterday] and House Republicans must act” on the foreign aid, noting that “time is of the essence.”
“House Republican leaders have fiercely criticized the foreign aid bill for failing to address the U.S.-Mexico border, despite a rejection of a bipartisan border agreement negotiated in the Senate earlier this month that they said didn’t go far enough. But passing the foreign aid bill without border provisions poses complications in the House, where additional aid for Ukraine is a nonstarter for some Republicans.”
Alexander decried the Johnson-led GOP caucus, which, like Van Drew, consistently demonstrates its handcuffed condition as a Trump-first collective.
“You bring the bill to the house and you work out your amendments to the bill,” said the Democratic challenger. “This is not a new method of negotiating bills, understanding that the bill is a bipartisan product. Let’s talk about oversight [of Ukraine funding]. Let’s see what we need to do to make sure safeguards are in there. I’m all for that, and I am all for securing the [southern] border.”
So is Van Drew.
So, what’s the problem?
Ah, that’s right, Trump said he didn’t want Congress passing the secure border bill because he doesn’t want incumbent President Joe Biden to take the credit.
“This is a case,” said Alexander, “of one person calling the shots and he has managed to put a strangle-hold on the Republican Party when the majority of America is in the middle. I think that the bottom line for us is we have to, at least starting here, remove one of these obstructionists.”
As for the political dividing line, invoked in the past as short-hand to describe a politician’s ideological stance, the citizens of CD-2 should know by now that when Van Drew – just like his House colleagues in the GOP – talks about moving to the right or to the left, what he means is he will move too, wherever an indicted, Russian-dictator-affirming former president squirms next.
Keep on rollin’ , we’re the rock behind Jeff Van Drew. His passion for NJ supercedes any negative smear tactics anyone can sling during mud time. I’ve only seen strong words and ACTIONS come from our Congressman! Strong support coming from this citizen!!
I think it’s fabulous the Jeff Van Drew is standing up for the people and that he supports Donald Trump.
I love the fact that Jeff understands that so-called “green” wind energy developers, have been hiding behind a mountain of fraudulent impact research and decades of false energy production claims.
If we had a few more people like Jeff, the people of New Jersey wouldn’t be fighting to stop the green energy fraudsters from destroying their oceans.
Van Drew is standing up for NJ. Unlike the rest of you traitors selling off our shores and pretending your oil/wind companies are not covering up the whale/cetacean deaths. If you think for one second your deep pockets and partisan nonsense is gonna actually make shore communities and nj communities side with your bought and paid for propaganda think again. We stand beside you Van Drew cause you have stood beside us! Don’t let these sellouts to the oil/wind companies divide us on partisan propaganda. I love that you were both a democrat and republican so no one can claim the garbage they claim in this article. We all know the truth. Sad the author of this article was so easily bought and paid for.
Thank you Congressman Van Drew for fighting for the livelihoods of the Commercial Fishermen!
Thank you Congressman Van Drew for fighting for the livelihoods of the Commercial Fishermen! Our industry and heritage are under attack.
Jeff VanDrew cares about the Jersey shore and the livelihood of the commercial fishermen. He has stood up to offshore wind and wants to see our ocean remain unpolluted by these awful turbine factories. He’s mentioned all the government’s subsidies and the reckless decisions made by Murphy-who took away home rule. Let’s focus on what really matters, our Country’s security and viable clean energy solutions, not “greed” energy!
Thank you Congressman Van Drew for always fighting for the livelihoods of the Commercial Fishermen & Commercial Fishing Industry! Our heritage is under attack.
Van Drew is a clown. Shameful how he & Trump are kissing the behind of Vladimir Putin, a full-on proud Communist when he was running the KGB. Trump & Dandy Jeff are Commie lackeys.
We fully support and stand with Congressman Van Drew! Thank you for your continued fight AGAINST The Offshore Wind Projects! Save our Ocean and ALL its life. We will continue to fight with you!
I stand behind Jeff Van Drew a man of strong convictions and integrity. A man that stands up for his constituents and community. A man of the people I applaud congressman Jeff Van Drew thank you for all you stand for.
Though not my Congressman, I fully support and stand with Congressman Van Drew! At least he has the Wisdom to seek the truth ! Now if he could bring exposure to all that promote for gain of money or positions in the future after the damage has been done.
Jeff Van Drew is a man of integrity and stands up for his constituents . I firmly stand behind Jeff Van Drew and his support for the fishermen in their fight against offshore wind industries trying to industrialize the oceans into a giant energy plant
Pure propaganda. Weaponized fear. Nonsense. The maniacs are running the show RIGHT NOW. Move em out!
Keep fighting for us JVD.
We are with you!!
COMRADE VAN DREW .I hope it is not true. Do the residents of Cape May County and Atlantic County really support the murderous Vladimir Putin and Russia?
Our elected MAGApublican Congressman , Jeff Van Drew, has taken a side and that side is Putin’s side. Van Drew is South Jersey’s voice in the Congress, and he is telling the whole country that South Jersey is fine with the Russian army advancing westward in Europe. He is telling the whole country that South Jersey is fine with the assassination of the freedom fighter Navalny.
Van Drew has refused to monetarily support the Army of the Ukraine, he has failed to condemn the Navalny assassination.
He is once again embarrassing the good people of Atlantic and Cape May Counties!
Van Drew’s evolution from Democrat to Republican to MAGApublican has hurt South Jersey. He has delivered almost nothing for the District and now he is waving the Russian flag in our face.
Shame on him and shame on the County Republican Party leaders who continue to support Comrade Van Drew.
Who is Jeff Van Drew and what DOES he stand for? A man who ran and won as a Democrat then switched to Republican once he was in DC. What happened once he arrived in Washington? What influenced him so powerfully that he changed parties? “Follow the money”….. JVD says he switched parties because the Democrats in Congress were moving too far left. JVD is now about as far right as can be as the NJ Chairman for the Trump 2024 campaign. Who does that and why???
How many bills has JVD seen through to passage during his tenure? He is now firmly entrenched with the obstructionist Republicans with the most ineffective congress in the history of our country.
Alexander is a lackey for brandon and the squids
from the squad. Jeff didn’t leave the democrat
party, the party left him. He’s not a socialist like them.