Congressman Jeff Van Drew made his exit from the Democrat Party official on Thursday during a meeting in the Oval Office in front of reporters as he explained how Democrats’ continued push toward far-left anti-American policies drove him to becoming a Republican.

“So, I have a few words … I had few points that I really wanted to make today. I would start with how this started,” Van Drew began. “I’ve been a Democrat for a lot of years and I actually had a meeting with somebody about two weeks ago and the individual was a local county chairman in the Democratic Party.”

Van Drew stated that the county chairman, whom he described as younger man, threatened him that if he did not vote to impeach Trump that the county chairman would destroy him.

“And it kind of hurt because for years I have given everything that I could to my people in my district … and that kind of hurt and it made me think a little bit, is this really what I want to do because there were other times in my life when I thought about this,” Van Drew continued.

Van Drew said that he has thought about switching parties before when he was in the New Jersey state Senate when he voted on two bills that he described as being “wonderful.”

One of the bills would have allowed “In God We Trust” to be written on the walls of all public and private buildings and the second bill allowed the American flag to be flown anywhere, in any manner, as long as it was respectful.

Van Drew said that far-left Democrats came to him and told him that they were “disgusted” with him for supporting the two bills that promoted faith and patriotism.

“That’s a very Republican thing by the way,” Trump interjected as the room erupted in laughter.

“I know,” Van Drew responded. “I know.”

“This is the greatest country on the face of the earth,” Van Drew continued. “I started out not as a wealthy kid, had the opportunity to work hard, got into dental school, graduated, and now I’m sitting here next to the president of the United States. That’s unbelievable, that’s America.”

“I don’t want anyone to ever tell me that there isn’t American exceptionalism,” Van Drew continued. “I don’t want anyone to ever say that this is the same as every other country in the world because it is not. You know that and I know that and hopefully everyone in this room knows that.”

Van Drew said that he was repeatedly criticized by people in the Democrat party who put down the United States, as they tried to convince him that America was the same as every other country and that there was no such thing as American exceptionalism.

“I’m a capitalist,” Van Drew continued. “Socialism in my opinion has no place in the United States of America and I think everyone should know that. I believe that this country can afford people opportunity and give them that opportunity so they can succeed.”

Van Drew took a shot at the “extreme” members of the Democrat party who he says told him that trying to be bipartisan is a “bad thing” and because being bipartisan would make him “like a Republican.”

Van Drew, whose comments thus far through his remarks had seemed to take aim at socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), then took direct aim at the far-left 29-year-old.

“I believe that the Green New Deal is something that we should never, ever, even think about doing,” Van Drew continued. “I don’t even know how anybody could ever bring that up. We can have a strong and good environment and we can have a good economy at the same thing and that is something that I think Republicanism represents.”

Van Drew also said that lowering taxes, balancing the budget, and honoring first responders and veterans are all things that were important to him. Van Drew said that another reason that he switched parties is because the Democrats are becoming less tolerant of diverse thought as they become more extreme.

“You have my undying support,” Van Drew told Trump.

Van Drew added that former Republican President Ronald Reagan was one of his favorite presidents and that Reagan’s comment about how the Democrat party left Reagan also rang true for him.

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