Meijer: I think in a lot of the media theres such a Trump fixation. He swiped past most of the missives. Meijer had just looked the partys future in the eye and acted as though all of that was normal. Late at night on the second Tuesday of January, Peter Meijer, a 33-year-old freshman congressman from West Michigan, paced the half-unpacked rooms of his new rental apartment in Washington,. Meanwhile, our country, our democracy gets ever more poorer. His side is unilaterally disarming while the other side is escalating every day. Wren: Where do you think the Trump fixation in the Republican Party is headed? Gibbs ultimately lost to Democrat Hillary Scholten in the general election, just as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had hoped when it quietly promoted Gibbs extremist candidacy. It was a short list, and Meijer had already talked with most of them: Liz Cheney of Wyoming; Adam Kinzinger of Illinois; Fred Upton, who represented a neighboring district in Michigan. Stunned, she suggested that he take a photo. I am self-motivated and an editor at Ghanafuo.com. Now he's in line to be picked up on the Republican side, right? The peaceful transition of power is not a problem unless it actually is a problem, and then its the only problem. Meijer had been a freshman representative for all of three days when the Jan. 6, 2021 riot happened. 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. And the couple often gets photographed together in several public appearances. Peter Meijer didnt run for Congress to fight for the sanity of the country or the soul of the Republican Party. And in truth, only two of themCheney and Kinzingerhave shown the stomach for the sort of sustained offensive that would be required to rehabilitate the GOP. Large pluralities of Republican votersdepending on the poll, sometimes outright majorities of thembelieve that the election was stolen. He pledged to work with the president wherever possible, and ignore him whenever necessary. Meijers sense of urgency gradually gave way to self-doubt. We dont have any prominent statewide elected offices at all. Wren: You were upset about the Democrats interfering in your primary by boosting your challenger. Meijer and I spoke about whether he could ever again support Trump, the wayward direction of the Republican Party and whether he could envision a return to Washington. MEIJER: Well, I think if you want to say that everything is a cynical, partisan ploy at the end of the day, then just say it. Therefore, Peter Meijer enrolled in US Army and was deployed to Iraq. I have found interest in writing articles like entertainment news, sports, Wikipedia, biography, obituary, News, lifestyle and many more around the world. Mr. Meijer told The Atlantic last year that another lawmaker, who explained why he was voting against certifying the 2020 election, told him, This is the last thing Donald Trump will ever ask you to do.. There was no fraternizing across party lines; Democrats huddled with Democrats and Republicans with Republicans. Meijer: Being part of the team that passed the Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2021. Meijer kept debating with himself; meanwhile, Gonzalez, who had also been ambivalent, grew ever more adamant that Trump must be impeached. They are showing their God Given America Right, the man texted back. Peter has two siblings, a sister named Haley Meijer and a brother whose information isn't yet disclosed. They found their way to a cafeteria in the Rayburn Building. | New members listened to powerful lawmakers leveling accusations that had no apparent basis in fact. But because everyone fought back, it didnt.. The conversations did not go well. The other eight, having glanced over their shoulders and seen no reinforcements on the way, chose varying degrees of retreat. The sergeant at arms had been pleading for calm, but suddenly his tone changed. The 34-year-old American politician is known to have just a sibling. Accuracy and availability may vary. Read: The Michigan Republican who decided to tell the truth about election fraud. She peppered him with bad stats and debunked rumors and thirdhand accounts of cheating. I mean, there's no incentive with that type of a politics to do anything but hug the most extreme elements of your party on either side of the aisle. What comes next is murkier. It was very much a team effort. This is the essence of Meijers struggle. Peter's mother was a medical student in the Biology Department. 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.. Meijer had been on the job for all of three days. Wren: Would you run for the seat again in 2024? 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. He is currently 34 years and was born on January 10, 1988, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Its better not to poke the bear, they tell him; better to let Trump and his loyalists forget the name Peter Meijer altogether. According to Forbes, Peter's father, Hank, has a net worth of $ 7.8 billion alongside Hank's brother and Peter's uncle Doug Meijer. As Meijer helped a colleague with her hood, the mob was banging on the doors. Were in this together, Meijer had told him. Deborah Meijer and Hank Meijer happen to be the biological parents of the politician and his only sister. The folks who whipped up [the violence] were just as terrified as everyone else; they fled like everyone else, Meijer says. Everyone fell still; the room full of old friends whod been buying raffle tickets and cracking jokes was suddenly on edge. (This last topic allowed Meijer numerous victory laps for the unauthorized trip he took to Kabul during the U.S. evacuation. Meijer was well acquainted with that kind of talk; one of his own siblings was fully in the grip of right-wing conspiracies. But the people who never brought it up, I knew they would follow through. A lot of people can get rich off of that. And he was fine with that. On a recent Wednesday afternoon in mid-December, Peter Meijer shuffled around the Speakers Lobby in the U.S. Capitol, finding a spot near the crackling fireplace as a cold rain from a winter storm encased Washington. But there was a shared sense of dread. Just days after he was sworn in to Congress, former GOP Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan watched in horror as protestors stormed the Capitol. We saw that electorally, when they can at least pretend to be speaking to issues and not seem crazy, even if they are unwilling to change their policy outcomes that are not making those issues better. The real threat isnt Donald Trump; its somebody who watched Donald Trump and can do this a lot better than he did, Meijer says. Regardless of its effectiveness, the nature of the strategy remains grim. As he left town, something hed said to Gonzalez earlier that day echoed through his mind. Meijer: Weve gone back and forth on whether or how we can quantify that. Trump targeted Meijer who is in his first term and is a member of the wealthy family that owns and operates the eponymous grocery store chain bearing his last name for voting to impeach . Haley Meijer is the sister of Republican US House Representative Peter Meijer in Michigan. He had just spoken to a group of soon-to-be voters whose notions of Republicanism were formed by red hats and angry chants and crazed tweets. He has thanked all people who have voted for him and led him to be the next member of Congress from West Michigan. Hed touted Trumps economic record. Whats worse: Meijer sees Trump inspiring copycats, some of them far smarter and more sophisticated, enemies of the American ideal who might succeed where Trump failed. This might be the best-case scenario for Meijers own careerRepublican voters forgiving and forgetting, politely moving on, putting January 6 behind them. She was in a very unenviable position. MEIJER: You know, I don't want to overextrapolate from my one scenario. He serves on the Committee on Homeland Oversight, Security, Management, and Accountability as a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee. They are afraid for their careers. Its even more rare for somebody who worked and lived by themselves in downtown Kandahar City I just have a unique perspective and personal network. I spoke with Meijer as he ducked in and out of the House chamber to vote on a series of rule changes. Meijer's loss was made all the more painful because of its proximate cause: cynical attacks from both his right and left flanks. Via Wikimedia Commons at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rep._Peter_Meijer_official_photo_117th_Congress.jpg, Nov 19 2016 - Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, United States, Current Members of the United States House of Representatives. Do you have any regrets? Listen to an interview with William J. Walker, sergeant-at-arms of the U.S. House of Representatives, on The Experiment. Whats going through my mind is, what happens if we turn the corner and see a group of rioters? Now he laughs at his own navet. Whats the biggest splurge youve made? If someone brought up the political implications, that was a good indicator that they werent going to vote with us. Press Esc to cancel. Come on.. The 34-year-old American politician is known to have just a sibling. He belongs to a family that is the founder and owner of the Meijer supermarket chain. The first-term congressman served in the Iraq war and cast one of his first House votes to impeach . Rising that quickly in todays GOPfrom unknown Millennial to statewide nominee in the space of four yearswill demand playing to the party base. So they do nothing, convincing themselves that the problem will take care of itself, while guaranteeing that it will only get worse. Its rare for somebody who worked in Afghanistan to be in Congress. 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. He has shared pictures of his family, his wife, his time in Iraq as the US Army, and his election campaign. Meijer: I was surprised at the media reaction to that. I think that gives Democrats a tangible advantage. His side is letting go while the other side is digging in. Advertisement - story continues below Geni requires JavaScript! It's bad for the notion of governing. But Ill tell you, it hasnt come up much since [February]. Editor at Ghanafuo.com! Congressman Meijer has criticized the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which spent big money on ads to boost his opponent. On Wednesday night, according to local media, he introduced Mr. Gibbs at a G.O.P. Of the 10, Ive got the most respect for Peterbecause he was brand-new, Kinzinger, one of the GOPs anti-Trump ringleaders, told me. And that was rare. National polls showed that tens of millions of Republican voters still believed the election had been stolen. March 1, 2023, 4:39 PM. Peter Meijer is the son of his parents, Hank Meijer and Debora Meijer. Meijer remembers one longtime memberwho confessed that he did not believe the election had been stolen but said he would vote against certification anywaytelling him: This is the last thing Donald Trump will ever ask you to do., Meijer knew that some Republicans had sincere concerns about election integrity; he himself feared that Democratic officials had taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and exceeded their authority to enroll absentee voters. If you leave a problem alone and let it fester, you can - you're essentially held harmless under our current environment and under the current kind of media communicative mechanisms. It was crackling with messages from people in his districtsome checking on his well-being; others warning him not to blow the insurrection out of proportion, arguing that it was little more than a spontaneous tour of the Capitol. The students listened to Meijer warily. Democrats have used that tactic in several states, hoping the more extreme Republican candidates will be easier opponents in the fall. Haley Meijer is the sister of Republican US House Representative Peter Meijer in Michigan. And I think that is fundamentally bad for the country. Meijer lost his seat to John Gibbs for the Republican primary on August 2, 2022. Rep. Peter Meijer is seen in his office in July 2021 in Washington, DC. [2] He has a degree from the University of Michigan. After Meijer hung up, he leafed through a copy of The Federalist Papers, hoping for an epiphany. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. 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. Peter has two siblings, a sister named Haley Meijer and a brother whose information isn't yet disclosed. He has regretted what his fellow people did at Capitol Hill and urged his colleagues to acknowledge their fault so gain the trust and faith of people once again. Whereas, Peters grandfather Fred Meijer, is the one who created a supermarket chain. !, Those who stormed the Capitol attacked our republic today, Meijer replied. MEIJER: You know, I don't want to single out the Republican Party here 'cause I think the party of Gerald Ford on the right and the party of Tip O'Neill on the left, that world is long gone. But whatever issues he had with the way certain states had administered the election, those states had since ratified their results and submitted slates of electors to Congress to be counted. In our many hours of conversation, Meijer had declined to call out any of his colleagues by name. But Peter Meijera junior Republican representative from Michigan and an heir to the multibillion-dollar Midwestern supermarket chain that bears his family namewas one of them. You have the side of light and the side of dark. Interestingly, he has no known male siblings. He is known as one of ten who voted to impeach President Trump over the events of January 6th, and now Meijer is an elite of the left. They want life in the shoes of the 10 of us to be miserable. The question he and his friends now ask of themselves isnt just Can I win reelection? Instead, he said, Its Am I going to have to talk for the next few years about Italian military satellites and bamboo ballots and whatever [MyPillow CEO] Mike Lindell says?. She was a hippie who bashed the familys conservative politics, then an avid Trump supporter eager for culture wars with the elitist left. This is why Im continuing to stay engaged on Afghanistan. Plus moral panic, Johnny Cash, U.S. money laundering, Milton, civil-war prophecies, Hanya Yanagiharas latest, and more. His father Hank Meijer is an American billionaire businessman, co-chairman, and CEO of the US supermarket chain Meijer. Peter is a member of the Meijer family, the founders, and owners of the Meijer superstore chain, founded by his grandfather's father . Whatever the numbers, the reality is that Meijers side is getting quieter while the other side is getting louder. Also, Peter is listed among the ultrawealthy politicians in the US history of politics. Like so many Republican candidates seeking to pass muster with the presidents base, he had been careful to say the right things. If theyre willing to come after you inside the U.S. Capitol, what will they do when youre at home with your kids?, Meijer glanced down at his phone. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Photo by Ike Hayman, United States House of Representatives Creative Services. Nobodys getting in here. 2023 Ghanafuo.com & DM Network. Meijer, 34, a former sergeant in the Army Reserves who served in Iraq, made reforming war powers and veterans issues his top legislative priorities. Rep. Peter Meijer lost his Republican primary to represent Michigan's 3rd district this week. January 6 had ushered in a new era of political mayhem, and one week later, he had put a bulls-eye on his own back. After the impeachment vote, Meijer felt he was positioned to advocate for what he believed would be an imminent, sweeping overhaul of the party. The hypocrisy was so transcendent, just the cynicism. Peter Meijer, a Republican, is celebrated by the furthest left media for his anti-Republican actions during his short time in DC. Rep. Peter Meijer awaits election results at an election night event at Social House on Aug. 2, 2022 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Looking around, Meijer saw that he was a leader without any following and realized how Pollyannaish hed been. But more and more, he belongs in the third. The country needed a come-to-Jesus conversation about political extremism. Meijer was born to an American billionaire businessman, co-chairman and the founder of the supermarket chain Meijer named Hendrik Meijer his father and his mother are called Deborah Meijer. Peter Meijer have one younger siblings, Hailey Meijer. 1. Its a place like any other. He viewed the 45th president as a manifestation of Americas psychological imbalance, someone who reflected our anger and insecurities instead of our confidence and aspirations. Does Peter Meijer have a brother? The name of his sister is Haley Meijer. They have been in a relationship for a long time, but still, there is no information about the baby. Inside the committee room, there was a lot of tension, a lot of suspicion among the members. ), In October, Meijer stood inside a classroom at his alma mater, East Grand Rapids High School, taking questions from constitutional-studies students. He is one of the 10 Republican members who can do the impeachment vote for Donald Trump. Meijer: I obviously have a deep love and a vested interest in the long-term success of our family business. Theres one he thinks of every day: his sister. Meijer is also a member of the Republican Party and voted for Donald Trump's second impeachment. He was going to help facilitate botheven if it meant forfeiting his career. Hypocrisy was so transcendent, just the cynicism and led him to be picked up on the Republican primary represent. 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