Jeff Van Drew Trashed for Switching Parties to Defend Trump From Impeachment: ‘Choosing the Wrong Side of History’

New Jersey Democrat Jeff Van Drew was blasted online on Saturday after reports that he would be switching parties after a new poll revealed he would lose a primary if he backed President Donald Trump on impeachment.

Many people viewed Van Drew’s position as putting his own political interests above his duty to defend the Constitution.

Here’s some of what people were saying about the conservative lawmaker:

“Just 24 percent of Democratic primary voters said Van Drew deserves to be reelected to Congress, and only 28 percent said he deserves to be the Democratic nominee in next year’s election.”

You can’t fire me, I quit! https://t.co/am2Sw00gvE

— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) December 14, 2019

The Van Drew story seems pretty simple to me: the guy got a poll back saying that voters in his swing district would punish him for voting against impeachment, so he decided to switch parties to keep his job. https://t.co/lkwGKyQ6VF

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) December 14, 2019

Jeff Van Drew represents NJ-2, the same district in southern New Jersey that noted Nixon loyalist Charlie Sandman held during Watergate.

Van Drew might want to remember that standing loyally by the president didn’t pan out for his predecessor. At all. https://t.co/yn1UEmCloA pic.twitter.com/4Wo5bDyzsD

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) December 14, 2019

Benedict Arnold: defected to the British in 1780.

trump: sold himself, and America, to Putin in 2016 (or earlier)

Jeff Van Drew: won’t vote for impeachment, defecting to the GOP in 2020. Good riddance.

TRAITORS ALL. https://t.co/IW1fSoGdUF

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) December 14, 2019

Choosing the wrong side of history, a freshman Dem chooses power over principle: https://t.co/sKE3i9tV3w via @NYTimes

— Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) December 14, 2019

The kids could tell https://t.co/smGJe209Oi

— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) December 14, 2019

Rep. Jeff Van Drew reportedly considering party switch after being courted by Trump.

He was one of the centrist freshmen anointed by the establishment when he ran for an open, Dem-trending seat. Here’s DCCC chair Lujan’s PAC donating to Van Drew early in the competitive primary pic.twitter.com/l2h9aNQ6I3

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) December 14, 2019

To the @DCCC on Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) switching parties as a result of the impeachment sham: pic.twitter.com/4QqrJxuXAP

— Students For Trump (@TrumpStudents) December 14, 2019

Indivisible group in Van Drew’s district. DCCC should listen to the locals next time. 👇 https://t.co/AGeO8wf75f

— Ezra Levin (@ezralevin) December 14, 2019

Okay there are self-interested traitors to our democracy- but this guy @CongressmanJVD Jeff Van Drew takes the cake: he was about to lose the Dem primary in NJ, so not only is he not backing impeachment, he is likely changing parties.They can have this PoS! Take him out in 2020.

— Amy Siskind 🏳️‍🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) December 14, 2019

COWARDLY TRAITOR: Rep. Jeff Van Drew, anti-impeachment Democrat, expected to switch parties after Trump meeting https://t.co/dkP1OvT5OW

— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) December 14, 2019

Jeff Van Drew switching to the Republican party to avoid losing the Democratic primary shows that he values himself over any type of loyalty, honor, or moral principle—just like the President whose ass he will now make a living kissing.

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) December 14, 2019

Goodbye Jeff Van Drew. History books won’t be kind to you. Enjoy another 2 years in the House as a Republican. Hope it’s worth it.

— Wajahat “Abu Khadija” Ali (@WajahatAli) December 14, 2019

I think I see far less downside to Van Drew flipping parties. He’s hitching his cart to Trump’s corruption and can be challenged more clearly in election.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) December 14, 2019

As a #NewJersey native, I will be deeply disappointed in Rep VanDrew if he has been influnced to change parties at the urging of the President.@CongressmanJVD was elected to represent the people of the #NJ02, not to do the bidding of Washington DC.https://t.co/X9iBrHFyws

— Piper Perabo (@PiperPerabo) December 14, 2019

When he switches parties, Jeff Van Drew will be the first Republican member of Congress to have endorsed Cory Booker’s presidential campaign

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) December 14, 2019

Jeff Van Drew isn’t leaving the Democratic Party because of impeachment or party views or personal beliefs.

He’s leaving because polling of his district shows only 24% of Dem voters would support him.

He’s making a cynical gamble to save his career by switching to the GOP.

— Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) December 14, 2019

Someday Jeff Van Drew is going to look back longingly at the frying pan and remember the good old days. https://t.co/xJ550901v5

— shauna (@goldengateblond) December 14, 2019

If you’re wondering why Van Drew is switching parties, @wildstein has been documenting how support has been collapsing for him in his district. (Yes, that David Wildstein. It’s New Jersey.) https://t.co/DyesCn45Rq

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) December 14, 2019

Are we supposed to believe that his disagreement with his party on one issue, impeachment, was enough to switch parties and call it a matter of principle? Of course not. He was terrified of losing. But now he’ll lose, having already lost his integrity.

— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) December 14, 2019

If Van Drew switches parties, it’s not because Trump pitched him to do it but because he got a poll showing he’d lose a primary to just about anyone. It’s the swampiest, most cynical type of politics. https://t.co/TbFcmKlMG0

— Robby Mook (@RobbyMook) December 14, 2019

👉FLAG:

Jeff Van Drew, a NJ Democrat now expected to leave the party, has been openly opposing Trump’s impeachment.

In late Nov., he vowed to remain a Democrat despite that.

On Dec. 10, he got the results of a district poll that showed he could no longer win as a Democrat: https://t.co/osLccbve0e

— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) December 14, 2019

Jeff Van Drew was only in the House to answer this age-old question:

What if a human buzz cut became a Member of Congress? pic.twitter.com/ygKA6pDpTW

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) December 14, 2019

The stunning move comes ahead of a historic vote on impeachment, to which Van Drew is strongly opposed.

But it also comes amid new polling that shows his approval numbers are underwater w/ Dem voters in his district:

Just 24% of ppl think he deserves to be reelected.

— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) December 14, 2019

Dems have heard Trump will do Rose Garden event with Van Drew next week https://t.co/FtYMsL92Cn

— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) December 14, 2019

Wow!!! Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a freshman Democrat from New Jersey is not only going to vote against impeachment, he’s going to change parties and become a Republican. He’s a freshman Congressman. How easily is this guy bought? He turned on the people who voted him in. Is he in debt? pic.twitter.com/zB6Pnuat8d

— Mystery Solvent (@MysterySolvent) December 14, 2019

The Jeff Van Drew party switch (if it happens) is loopier than the 2009 Parker Griffith switch in one big way: He’d be doing it right before his old party controls redistricting. Gosh, which seat would they get rid of first

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) December 14, 2019

Here’s a fundraising email Van Drew’s camapign sent out 3 hours ago about protecting “our majority in the House” #NJ02 pic.twitter.com/9IV95HHaGE

— Simone Pathe (@sfpathe) December 14, 2019

Nov. 22nd: “I am absolutely not changing (parties),” Van Drew said, adding he’s been a moderate Democrat all his life, and will remain one. https://t.co/u5rlkueis3

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) December 14, 2019

BREAKING: Anti-impeachment Democrat looking at switching to Republican Party after fierce lobbying by Trump: report

https://t.co/vX6Afe4bXM

— Raw Story (@RawStory) December 14, 2019