His cellphone throbbed with furious texts and emails. This was the answer to a question that George was not asking. Now he laughs at his own navet. In the fall, a bundled donation of $25,000 was deposited into Meijers campaign account, courtesy of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which named him to its Patriot Program. It was an honor not bestowed upon some of the others whod voted for impeachment. Advertisement - story continues below The country needed a come-to-Jesus conversation about political extremism. Wren: Would you support Donald Trump if he were the nominee in 2024 after voting to impeach him last year? 2. Large pluralities of Republican votersdepending on the poll, sometimes outright majorities of thembelieve that the election was stolen. Meijer had checked with local officials in Michigan to confirm that everythingregistration numbers, voter turnout, down-ballot patternsadded up. When he was elected with a six-point margin in November 2020, Meijer had no plans to become a troublemaker. But one, from a longtime activist hed gotten to know, caught his eye. Meijer graduated from Stern School of Business with a Master of Business Administration in 2017. Just days after he was sworn in to Congress, former GOP Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan watched in horror as protestors stormed the Capitol. (Calhouns leaders accused Meijer of having betrayed the trust of so many who supported you and violate[d] our faith in our most basic constitutional values and protections.) The next month, as other local parties across Michigan were debating similar reprimands of both Meijer and Fred Upton, the state GOP chair joked with party activists that assassination was one remedy for dealing with the two of them. They can reason and debate like adults. Sulley Muntari, Agyeman Badu, Asamoah Gyan, others visit Christian Atsus family home, VIDEO: Government will be fully involved in providing Christian Atsu a befitting burial Dr. Bawumia, Christian Atsus mortal remains arrive in Ghana via Turkish Airlines, Maybe I created enemies along the line Kofi Amoabeng on UT Banks collapse, Christian Atsu was one of Ghanas finest personnel Akufo-Addo, This is some food chain story Archipalago shamed for chasing clout with Christian Atsus death. You better not buckle and wimp out to the liberals, the man wrote. Trumps next coup, the myth of voter fraud, Peter Meijers lonely stand, and what happened to American conservatism. He's already drawn a primary challenge for 2022 from Tom Norton, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and strong supporter of Trump. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Gibbs has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump. Reggie Gowland parents: Who are his father and mother? Like so many Republican candidates seeking to pass muster with the presidents base, he had been careful to say the right things. Peter married Catharina Elisabeth Meijer (born Gieseking) on month day 1759, at age 29. This is the essence of Meijers struggle. Walking back with barely a brisker pace to the gallery, he discovered another officer guarding the door. So they do nothing, convincing themselves that the problem will take care of itself, while guaranteeing that it will only get worse. My frustration is [conspiracy theories] lead folks on the right to go down these rabbit holes and chase their own tails. Therefore, Peter Meijer enrolled in US Army and was deployed to Iraq. If he was outlining a positive agenda and speaking of the things that were started and hoping to be completed, if his message was about pointing the country in a better direction, it would be very different than what we have right now, which is just like the pettiest of petty grievances. Above all, they are afraid of fighting a losing battle in an empty foxhole. Meijer says hes pretty much resigned to Trump winning his partys nomination in 2024, and worries that the odds of Trump returning to the White House are growing stronger as Bidens presidency loses steam. Wren: Would you run for the seat again in 2024? Editor at Ghanafuo.com! According to multiple people who attended that meeting, the House minority leader refused to give them advice, explicit or implicit, about how to vote on the election certification. They say theyre rooting for his side. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). They pat him on the back and whisper encouragement into his ear. When Amash made it known in the summer of 2019 that hed be leaving the party to become an independent, Meijer announced that he would seek the Republican nomination. He sensed that he might be doing more harm than good with his high-minded rhetoric. But I think broadly, populist sentiment and a belief that our institutions are failing, our institutions are corrupt, our institutions are irredeemable is becoming a very common belief on both sides of the aisle, and there is good reason to believe it. Hendrik G. "Hank" Meijer (born 1952) [1] is an American billionaire businessman, co-chairman and CEO of the US supermarket chain Meijer . The sergeant at arms had been pleading for calm, but suddenly his tone changed. That trip earned him a scolding from the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In January 2022, Alexander celebrated his brother's favorite day of the year alongside his father and mother. Peter is an heir to a multi-billion dollar supermarket chain Meijer. In a moment that should force a lot of introspection, Ive seen a lot of folks who are responsible for the debacle only rising in stature. Meanwhile, after Peter voted for Trumps impeachment, he is taking several measures to keep his family and wife safe as he is receiving threats for being a betrayer. Heres the thing: Some people have not let it go. Growing up, hed heard the legend of how a family friend, President Gerald Ford, had pardoned Richard Nixon in an act of mercy after Nixon had resigned to avoid the humiliation of being impeached and removed. The hypocrisy was so transcendent, just the cynicism. I think he had a very negative impact on both candidate selection in terms of endorsements, but also just the amount of quality candidates in competitive seats. He says he decided that by actively trying to correct them, I may have been inadvertently postponing the self-correction that would come with some distance from Trumps presidency. The responsibility for fixing the party isnt on the 10 of us; its on the 180 who didnt do anything. He was also a volunteer for Columbia University's emergency medical services for emergency medical technicians. He tapped into something that predated him and that will remain after him. Instead, the party continues to rely on grievance and fearand misinformationto scare voters into their ranks. This was the very class that had fueled Meijers political imagination as a teenager. I asked if he understood why George and his friends might be scared right now. Peter Meijer is the eldest of the two children of Hank Meijer. The senators adjourned to their side of the Capitol to deliberate, and Meijer excused himself for a bathroom break. I texted Meijer about the news. Wren: No idea? He studied for one year in the United States Military and served in Iraq as an army intelligence officer for the United States of America. The politician is the grandson of the American billionaire businessman and former the chairman of the Meijer hypermarket chain, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And I saw this kind of firsthand in Washington - a fear of trying to improve something because if you touch it, you take responsibility. For a lot of people here, they swore that impeachment vote was the end for Peter Meijer, says Ben Geiger, the chair of the Barry County Republican Party, which voted in February to censure the congressman. The name of his sister is Haley Meijer. Also, Peter is listed among the ultrawealthy politicians in the US history of politics. But, I mean, wed be basically destroying the Electoral College., On January 6, when both bodies of Congress convened in the House chamber, Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked most of the lawmakers to move up to the gallery as the proceedings began. In this sense, the Republican Party is embracing that old definition of insanity. Not long after his victory in November, however, Haley became fixated on the idea that the election had been rigged. Scores of local election officials nationwide have been run out of office, many of them replaced by people who insist that the system theyre now charged with overseeing is rigged. In this, its Mr. Gibbs, previously known for airing conspiracy theories. The couple has not been blessed with children yet and there is no news of any legal adoption by them. On the House floor, moments before the vote, Meijer approached a member who appeared on the verge of a breakdown. Hed ignored, or downplayed, much of his extreme rhetoric. Theres a lot of work that we were able to get done; but a lot more that we had hoped to be able to do. While grieving his sisters obsession with conspiracy theories, he has to work alongside the very people, like fellow freshman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who are pushing those lies. Soon after, Haley, a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, began commenting favorably on the Facebook posts of Tom Norton, who announced a campaign to defeat Meijer in the 2022 Republican primary. The Capitol Police herded members into elevators and sent them down to the sub-basement. Well, my Republican Party wouldnt scare him, Meijer said with a shrug. But she was silent after he voted to certify the election that night, and after he voted to impeach Trump and was deluged with death threats. Meijer: I was surprised at the media reaction to that. Hes been working hard on a lot of other things. Meijer: Highly uncertain. The political incentives for elected officials and candidates to deal with existential problems are totally busted. If someone brought up the political implications, that was a good indicator that they werent going to vote with us. Here are some tips. Meijer: I dont know if my Chevy Colorado counts. Meanwhile, Democrats spent about $400,000 to help Mr. Meijers Republican challenger in the Michigan primary. And that was rare. He wanted more oversight and accountability for troop deployments. Hank and his younger brother Doug. Copyright 2022 NPR. Mr. Meijer and his spouse make a perfect pair and Peter himself admits it often. So I think both parties are doing what they can to narrow the size of their tent, in some cases, to their political detriment in the short term. So much of the energy is ultimately expended down avenues that are just hamster wheels. Meijer knows the strain Trumps candidacy might place on a system that nearly buckled during the last election cycle. Meijer: I think Tudor did the best with what she had. Many people came together this week to ensure Mr. Meijer would not return to Congress in 2023 and would instead be replaced on the ticket and possibly in Congress by John Gibbs, who has said the 2020 election results are mathematically impossible.. Wren: Who? But all the while, Meijer had studied Trump with trepidation. They did their tour in Vietnam; why would they want to go back? Kinzinger told me in mid-October. Meijer: Yeah. Congressman Meijer has criticized the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which spent big money on ads to boost his opponent. There is very little incentive to be seen as substance-oriented. They can play the long game. Meijer had never been a Trump guy. Listen: The Ticket podcast interview with Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer: Theres Going to Be a Horrible Cost. He denounced Amashs calls for Trumps first impeachmentfor soliciting Ukraines assistance in his reelection campaigntelling a local news outlet, I think the American people deserve better than political theater in the House of Representatives.. In August, when I accompanied Meijer on a swing through his district during the congressional recess, something strange happened. But what I recognized with Peter, during our conversations, was that he never talked about the political implications. Obviously, we werent able to get that signed into law. He is a member of the Meijer family, the owners of the Meijer superstore chain. Peter Meijer, a Republican, is celebrated by the furthest left media for his anti-Republican actions during his short time in DC. When he walked out a few minutes later, he saw a Capitol Police officer sprinting down the corridor, yelling into his radio: Hallway clear!. We had a moment in one of our town halls [when] there were all these people who said, Can we talk about something else now? Meijer recalls. Meijer: I have no idea how I would do that. Rep. Peter Meijer is seen in his office in July 2021 in Washington, DC. But as he began talking with his colleagues, he was shocked to realize that more of themperhaps far more of themwere now preparing to object to the election results than before the riot. 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