One of the Republicans who previously voted in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump for “insurrection” has shifted his stance after facing removal from Congress within his own party.
Former Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI) has shown a newfound openness to the 45th president and has announced his intention to vote for Trump in the 2024 election. Following the trajectory of other Republicans critical of Trump, Meijer experienced defeat in his primary election in Michigan last year.
As he pursues a Senate seat in Michigan, the one-term congressman, affiliated with the Meijer supermarket chain, clarified to Politico that he does not harbor animosity towards Trump. When questioned about whether Trump had changed or if he had, Meijer avoided a direct response. Instead, he attributed Trump’s resurgence to what he deemed “cynical” efforts by Democrats.
Meijer expressed skepticism about the “timing” of criminal investigations into Trump, including those related to January 6, suggesting a political motivation behind them. Ultimately, he emphasized greater concern about the prospect of another term under President Biden than the possibility of Trump’s return 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 went as far as defending Trump, portraying it as a reaction to a detached political class that he characterized as a passive “blob” lacking firm convictions. This perspective may seem somewhat ironic, especially considering Meijer’s recent emphasis on his principled rejection of Trump, but the underlying point is acknowledged.
“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 pursuing the open Senate seat left by Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm has dismissed his campaign as not “viable,” expressing concern that “the base would not be enthused in the general election.”
Meijer has actively supported Trump in his legal efforts in Michigan to remain on the ballot in 2024.
Despite left-wing groups’ attempts, they have so far been unsuccessful in disqualifying Trump over the events of January 6.
It’s evident that Meijer is recognizing the prevailing sentiment as Trump maintains a significant presence in the 2024 Republican primary.
