Two New Jersey Republicans in the US House of Representatives with deep ties to the Jared Kushner and Bill Stepien wing of the Trump circle, Reps. Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith, voted in favor of the recent Democrat infrastructure bill, dubbed a “conservative takeover” by conservative activists.
US House Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), voted in favor of the recent Democrat infrastructure bill. Van Drew is a freshman congressman, who was propelled to office by his close association with President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien. Jared Kushner has close ties with Stepien, who had previously replaced Brad Parscale as Trump’s campaign manager during the 2020 Presidential race. The two are personally close and Stepien considers Kusher a “pleasure” to work with.
Stepien, a Chris Christie loyalist, was previously reported to have been selling off endorsements by President Donald Trump earlier this year, as National File reported.
Smith, known as the “invisible man” in New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District for being a 16-year incumbent who lives in a different state – specifically, Virginia, has been reported to have been distancing himself from the America First movement since the widely controversial 2020 Presidential Election on November 3, 2020.
Two New Jersey Republican votes for the Democrat “infrastructure” takeover came on the heels of a better than expected showing for the GOP in what was normally deep-blue New Jersey earlier last week during the 2021 November election.
President Donald Trump recently issued a statement on the Democrat infrastructure bill, calling it “the $3.5 trillion Communist Plan to Destroy America.”
“This legislation is an assault on our Nation, on our communities, and on the American Dream,” President Trump wrote. “It destroys our Borders and the rule of law by granting dangerous amnesty that will flood America’s beautiful cities. It will overwhelm our schools, and make our Nation less safe. It raises taxes like we have never seen, while also making many things you buy everyday more expensive (gas, groceries, and much more). And don’t forget the crazy Green New Deal. America, you are being robbed in the dark of night. It’s time to wake up!”
The recent betrayals by Smith and Van Drew may prove to be beneficial for America First candidate for the 4th district Mike Blasi, a retired NYPD officer and veteran of the U.S. Army is mounting a formidable campaign against Smith.
“While you were sleeping on Friday night, forty-year incumbent Chris Smith — a man who has been wallowing in Congress since 1981 — voted to enable the Communist Democrat plan to destroy America, otherwise known as Joe Biden’s and Nancy Pelosi’s infrastructure bill,” Blasi said in a statement. “It is long past time for New Jersey to fire Chris Smith. Forty years in D.C. is way too long.”
