Trump to hold campaign rally in Van Drew’s district

President Trump will hold a campaign rally later this month in the home district of Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), the former Democrat who switched parties last month amid his opposition to impeachment.

Trump’s reelection campaign said in a news release that the president will rally supporters on Jan. 28 at the Wildwoods Convention Center in Wildwood, N.J. The campaign did not say whether Van Drew would make an appearance.

The president endorsed Van Drew during an Oval Office photo op last month days after it was first reported that the congressman would defect from the Democratic Party. Van Drew, whose voting record aligns closely with Democrats, pledged his “undying support” to the president.

Van Drew represents New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, which Trump won by 4.6 percentage points in 2016. A former dentist and state lawmaker, Van Drew was one of several moderate Democrats who helped the party secure a majority in 2018.

But he had expressed unease about proceeding with an impeachment vote and was one of three Democrats to oppose one or both articles that passed the House last month. Polling indicated Van Drew would have faced a difficult reelection bid as a Democrat.

Van Drew’s party switch was seen as a coup for Trump and his Republican allies who have sought to paint impeachment as a partisan exercise led by Democrats.

Amy Kennedy, the wife of former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), announced Monday that she will run as a Democrat to challenge Van Drew in the November election.