Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s staff are resigning en masse after Van Drew, elected in 2018 as a Democrat, signaled that he’ll be switching parties this week as he prepares to vote against impeachment. Six of Van Drew’s senior aides have already resigned, with five writing in a letter that they were “deeply saddened and disappointed,” The Washington Post reports.
”Sadly, Congressman Van Drew’s decision to join the ranks of the Republican Party led by Donald Trump does not align with the values we brought to this job when we joined his office,” the group wrote. Another staffer, based in New Jersey, also reportedly resigned Sunday evening, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer that “Defeating Trump has and always will be the main goal for me.”
Democrats reacted to Van Drew’s imminent defection with something of an eye roll. ”What he’s reacting to is public polling that shows he can’t get renominated,” Rep. Jerry Nadler said Sunday on ABC. “His electorate in his district is 24 percent to renominate him and 60 percent to nominate somebody else.”
Good for Van Drew’s staff refusing to go along with his cowardice. Happily, while their former boss is abandoning his values, the staffers aren’t being abandoned. DCCC Chair Cheri Bustos tweeted that “It's right before the holidays and these staffers just quit their jobs to stand up for their Democratic values. We'll bring them and others who leave on with the @dccc until they land new jobs that align with their values.”