Rep. Jeff Van Drew: I get why RFK Jr. left the Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is not the party it used to be.

As someone who spent nearly two decades in the New Jersey state legislature as a Democrat before moving to the United States Congress, I have had a front-row seat to the drastic changes within the party over the years. When I first entered politics, the Democratic Party was dedicated to standing up for the working class. We were focused on fairness and supporting those who needed it most. Regardless of differences between the political parties, we all still believed that the Democratic Party leadership loved America and saw it as the best nation on the face of the earth.

This is no longer true. Over the years, the party has veered off its original course. Instead of championing the needs of everyday Americans, it now seems to be driven more by corporate interests and big donors. The policies coming out of the party often favor the wealthy, leaving hardworking average Americans behind.

As elected representatives of the people of America, it is our privilege and our duty to serve in their interests. The Democratic Party has failed to do this time and time again. Today, their policies favor big corporations at the expense of American workers and small businesses. Trade deals and economic policies that once aimed to support local businesses now often prioritize the interests of multinational companies. They choose to rely on foreign entities for energy rather than bring energy dependence back home to America, putting jobs and our national energy security at risk.

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Internationally, the Democratic Party's lack of decisive leadership has weakened our global standing, emboldened adversaries, and neglected crucial allies. Domestically, the Biden-Harris administration has led to unprecedented economic strain since they took office, with inflation up almost 21% and Americans spending $13,000 more annually on basics.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to denounce the Democratic Party and endorse Donald Trump should serve as a wake-up call to their leadership that there is a need for substantial change. As a legacy Democrat, RFK’s choice to prioritize the country over party loyalty shows just how far the party has drifted from its core values. His stance reflects the growing sentiment among Americans that the Democratic Party no longer aligns with the nation’s needs.

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I saw a similar sentiment when I ran against Ted Kennedy’s daughter-in-law, Amy Kennedy, in 2020. Despite having her family’s substantial backing and resources, she couldn’t overcome the growing frustration among voters. People in South Jersey were fed up with the direction the Democratic Party had taken. They were looking for a change, a departure from the status quo that the party had come to represent. Americans across the nation are tired of the new burdens they bear under this administration.

Look at our nation’s current state: rising illegal border crossings that have led to tragic loss of innocent life, and an economy struggling under the weight of rampant inflation. The Democratic Party’s responses to these critical issues have been underwhelming at best. Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent speech at the Democratic National Convention, filled with lofty promises and goals, rings hollow when weighed against nearly four years of inaction and failure to address pressing concerns.

A political shift is urgently needed, one that genuinely represents the interests of everyday Americans and confronts our nation’s challenges head-on. We need an approach that prioritizes the people’s needs and delivers real solutions. Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, we have the opportunity to reclaim our nation’s direction with decisive action and ensure a prosperous future for all Americans.