Why Jeff Van Drew dropped the Democratic party in his own words and how Pres. Trump responded

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, shakes hands with United States Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-N.J. Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House. Rep. Van Drew, announced over the weekend that he would be changing his political affiliation to the Republican Party.  (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

By Mona Austin

Many people who land a meeting with a president have won championships or survived war-time battles. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) landed a face-to-face meeting with Pres. Donald Trump via an arguably less noble and certainly less triumphant act.  The New Jersey Congressman voted against impeaching Trump and left the Democratic party. The decision was significant enough to warrant face-to-face acknowledgement from  the president.  Trump rolled out the White House welcome mat for the new Republican convert and received his endorsement.

"I believe that this is just a better fit for me. This is who I am. It’s who I always was, but there was more tolerance of moderate Democrats, of blue-dog Democrats, of conservative Democrats.  And I think that’s going away," Van Drew told Trump, as he pledged his "undying support" to him while seated next to him in the Oval Office.

Reading off bullet points, Van Drew continued to express his decision to support the Trump Administration in mid-December.

"I love bipartisanship. Do you know that I even had times, quite frankly, being a Democrat -- again, not from all folks; there's some middle-of-the-road folks -- but from some of these extreme folks that they said, "Bipartisanship is a bad thing," shared Van Drew.

Said Trump of the decision: "We were very fortunate he voted our way yesterday, as you probably know.  And we had a totally unified party.  I don’t think there’s ever been a time where the Republican Party was so united." 

Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Majority Leader, said a Democrat had not switched sides in 10 years, meaning it had previously happened in the Obama Administration.

The president asked Vice Pres. Pence, "How do you feel about that, Mike?  Are you okay?," to which he replied, "You have my support and gratitude, Congressman." 

As Van Drew expounded on his reason for joining the Republicans, it appears that his loyalty to the party languished from how fellow-Democrats treated him. The New Jersey lawmaker felt offended by  ideological challenges from certain members of the Democratic party along the lines of religion and patriotism. 

Van Drew cited that he wrote bills twice that did not pass that he thought should have been easily supported:

"I did two bills, and one of them -- it's unusual for New Jersey -- would allow, in any public or private building, to have "In God We Trust" on the wall.  And the second one was that you could fly the American flag wherever you wanted to, however you wanted to, as long as it was respectful. " 

He stated there were very progressive Democrats who condemned his views.

"I had some very progressive -- and not all Democrats -- but these were really progressive Democrats that came to me and said, "We're really disgusted with you." And I said, 'Why?'  Making such a big deal about the flag. The flag is just not that big a deal.”
“‘In God We Trust’ is not that big deal”, revealed  the new Republican.

Politicians party hop occasionally from both sides of the aisle.

Van Drew is not alone in his choice to deflect from Democrats. Earlier this year another Republican switched to the Democratic party.

The AP reports that Sen. John Yudichak of Pennsylavania decided he will register as an independent, but will caucus with Republicans.  He  said that he had found a growing disconnect with an increasingly liberal Democratic caucus and party, and that some issues that are important to him will find a better home in the Republican caucus.

On the other hand, State Rep. Andy McKean, the longest serving Republican in Iowa, uprooted form the GOP after 29 years in the legislature earlier in 2019. At a press conference announcing his departure he said he felt the need to be able to support the standard bearer of the Republican party and at the time that was something he was unable to do, referring to the