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MAGA Loser Announces Bonkers Scheme to Cosplay as Winner

The New Jersey representative once declared his “undying support” for Trump.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) speaks as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. Noem is appearing before Congress for a second day as she faces questions on the department's handling of immigration enforcement and the effects of its partial shutdown. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Heather Diehl/Getty Images

A Trump loyalist whose House seat flipped blue has found a way to console himself from his midterm loss.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, 73, has hatched a plan to rebrand himself as “Congressman Emeritus” on official letterhead once his seat in New Jersey’s second congressional district is taken over by Democrat Zack Mullock.

Van Drew told the New Jersey Globe that he will print letterhead with his new title of choice as he continues to assist constituents and local officials who need his help. “Congresman Emeritus” is not an official title.

“When people at the local level need advice and help, I’ll be there,” he told the outlet.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., participates in the House Judiciary Committee markup of the" Report Recommending that the House of Representatives Cite Attorney General Merrick Garland for Contempt of Congress" on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Jeff Van Drew plans to rebrand himself "Congressman Emeritus" on his letterhead.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Van Drew has conceded to Mullock, marking an end to eight years in Congress. He vowed to work with his Democratic successor, including by transferring pending case files for residents seeking federal assistance.

“I don’t want to hurt people,” he said. “That’s the key.”

Van Drew’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.

The New Jersey representative was first elected to Congress in 2018 as a Democrat. He switched sides the following year, declaring “undying support” for President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

“I believe that this is just a better fit for me,” he said at the time. “This is who I am.”

U.S. President Donald Trump introduces U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew at a campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S. January 28, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Van Drew and President Donald Trump at a 2020 rally.

JEENAH MOON/REUTERS

Trump was quick to embrace his newfound devotee, calling Van Drew “highly respected.”

“I don’t know how, as a Democrat, you could have won in that district very well. That’s a great tribute to you,” he said.

But Van Drew’s fortunes have flipped seven years later. In his concession speech, he said the blue tsunami was more than just a “normal wave election.”

“It kind of is a Watergate,” he said. “Everything came together the wrong way.”

Van Drew did not pin the blame on Trump, even after the Democratic sweep was credited largely to Americans’ dissatisfaction with the president’s Iran war driving up the cost of living.

“I made my decisions, and I stand by them,” he said. “Sometimes life is bumpy and you have to man up. This is one of those moments.”

Van Drew has already set his sights on 2028, telling NJ Globe that he will actively explore a path to reclaiming his congressional seat.

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