Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ), who is switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, listens to US President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on December 19, 2019, in Washington, DC. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) used his speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday to explain why he switched from Democrat to Republican.
Drew said he was asked by Democrats to run for a seat on the town council, and while he had doubts because his views were more “middle of the road to conservative,” he was told that the Democrat Party was “a big tent” and accepted people like him.
After he won his seat in Congress, he noticed things were changing and “the Democratic Party had become less accepting of American tradition, less believing in American exceptionalism, less supportive of traditional faith and family.”
Drew had voted in 2018 against Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as House speaker because she was a liberal.
“But imagine how I felt after seeing members of The Squad quickly take control of the Democrat Party just weeks after being elected. The party had moved from liberal to radical. This new Democratic Party wasn’t just for higher taxes. Now they were for open borders, against our police and against our God-given rights,” he said.
“When the radical Democrats went after President Trump with impeachment, they made another mistake: Democrat leaders told me that I had to vote for impeachment or my life would be made difficult, and I wouldn’t be allowed to run again,” Drew said.
“Listen, I’m from South Jersey, and you’d better come at me with more than just loud words and empty threats. I voted no on impeachment, and it was an easy call. Soon after, I met with President Trump, and he made me feel more comfortable and welcome in the Oval Office than Nancy Pelosi ever made me feel in her caucus, and a few days later, I officially changed parties and I became a Republican,” he said.
Drew said he doubts that former Vice President Joe Biden would be able to stand up against the radical members of the Democratic Party. They want him to be their puppet, he said.
“Let me tell you about Joe Biden. When the Democrats tried to order me around, I was ready, willing and able to say I’ve had enough with their radical, Socialist agenda. Do you really believe Joe Biden is ready, willing – and most of all – able to do the same? As Joe says, ‘come on, man,’” he said.
“Joe Biden is being told what to do by the radicals running my former party – the same radicals trying to install him as their puppet president,” Drew said.
