One of the Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump for “insurrection” has changed his tune after being ousted from Congress by his own party.
Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) is warming up to the 45th president and now says he will vote for Trump in 2024.
Like other anti-Trump Republicans, Meijer lost his primary in Michigan last year.
As he seeks the Senate in Michigan, the one-term congressman, whose family runs the Meijer supermarket chain, tells Politico that he is by no means a Trump hater.
When asked, “Did Trump change or did you?” Meijer dodged the question.
Instead, he blamed “cynical” Democrats for boosting Trump.
Meijer questioned the “timing” of Trump’s criminal investigations – including the January 6 probes – suggesting they are politically motivated.
Ultimately, Meijer said he is more worried about another term of Biden than Trump returning to power.
“My overarching goal is to make Joe Biden a one-term president,” he said.
“I think that economic damage that he has wrought and will continue to bring will have far more wide-reaching negative consequences on the country than a second non-consecutive Trump administration.”
Biden’s policies collectively have done more to hurt America than Jan. 6 even if they are not as “dramatic,” he said.
“You have the complete and utter disregard of upholding and enforcing existing laws on the southern border and now over 10 million folks that came through illegally combined with disastrous economic consequences from that incredible deficit spending, and the ham-fisted way in which the Biden administration has approached governing.
“Is that as dramatic as Jan. 6? No.
“Do I think that will have far more insidious and dangerous repercussions in the long term? Absolutely.”
Meijer even defended Trump as a response to an out-of-touch political class that he described as a passive “blob” with no convictions.
A bit of an ironic point, perhaps – coming from the man who just recently was glad to tout his rejection of Trump on principle – but the point is taken.
“I think a lot of the ways in which he kind of shook up the political establishment was a net positive,” he said.
“Like, he shook it too much.
“After the election, he kind of lost control of where the trends were going.
“But that does not mean in any way, shape or form that I think we should be returning to the pre-Trump moment.”
“I do not at all believe in the wholesale rejection of Donald Trump or the folks that he brought into the party,” he added.
Meijer is seeking the open Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
His campaign has been dismissed as not “viable” by the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, which expressed concern that “the base would not be enthused in the general election.”
Meijer has supported Trump in his legal battle in Michigan to stay on the ballot in 2024.
Left-wing groups have tried, so far unsuccessfully, to have Trump disqualified over Jan. 6.
Clearly, Meijer has begun to see the writing on the wall as Trump continues to dominate the 2024 Republican primary.
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