Im proud that the prior record for the number of bills signed into law by a freshman in the minority was at two, and now were at least four I would argue five. He was able to spend more time on the policy issues he cared about. Meijer is convinced that there are more Republicans like himrational, pragmatic, disgusted by the turn the party has takenthan there are like Gosar. He announced that smoke hoods were under the chairs and told members to put them on. Peter Meijer didnt run for Congress to fight for the sanity of the country or the soul of the Republican Party. Type above and press Enter to search. In fact, Haley Meijer wants her brother out of DC so much she is a "top fan" of Norton's, according to Norton's campaign Facebook page. The central policy connection publicly shared by many Republicans who prevailed is some level of rejection of the 2020 election results, ranging from tacit and careful dodging to blasting conspiracy theories. Later, after spending 18 months in Afghanistan as a conflict analyst, he finished graduate school at NYU and found work doing urban redevelopment in Detroit. Barreling toward one of the most consequential votes in modern history, everyone was on their own. Meijer: Yeah. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. The young man clearly wanted to understand how Meijers version of Republicanism differed from the Trumpist one, how the congressman might distinguish his vision for the party from the current MAGA model. Peter has two siblings, a sister named Haley Meijer and a brother whose information isn't yet disclosed. Peters parents however have separated and Hank has remarried Liesel Litzenburger, a writer and novelist. After the vote, Meijers congressional officestill barely staffedwas inundated with calls and messages. [2] He has a degree from the University of Michigan. 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. (This last topic allowed Meijer numerous victory laps for the unauthorized trip he took to Kabul during the U.S. evacuation. But as soon as Capitol Police discovered them and noticed the windows facing out to the ground floor, they ordered another evacuation. 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. Meijer had just looked the partys future in the eye and acted as though all of that was normal. First and foremost, Peter Meijer is a married man. Plus moral panic, Johnny Cash, U.S. money laundering, Milton, civil-war prophecies, Hanya Yanagiharas latest, and more. Meijer had checked with local officials in Michigan to confirm that everythingregistration numbers, voter turnout, down-ballot patternsadded up. By April, Meijer had a primary challenger. I spoke with Meijer as he ducked in and out of the House chamber to vote on a series of rule changes. Some people are motivated by raw power, he said. Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon? Meijer: I think Tudor did the best with what she had. And he was fine with that. Who doesnt know Peter Meijer a multi-millionaire and an heir to the multibillion-dollar Midwestern supermarket chain? Disney+ released the first trailer for its upcoming live-action Peter Pan & Wendy, which puts a new spin on the classic story based on the J.M. Cecelia Chintoh is the name I respond to. Above all, they are afraid of fighting a losing battle in an empty foxhole. In fact, Haley Meijer wants her brother out of DC so much she is a "top fan" of Norton's, according to Norton's campaign Facebook page. Meijer watched, from a hotel lounge, as the presidents lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell held a deranged press conference at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee. But he worried that a rash impeachment of the president might unleash an even uglier convulsion than the one hed just survived. But his brain dissented. He took voters earfuls in stride. After the impeachment vote, Meijer felt he was positioned to advocate for what he believed would be an imminent, sweeping overhaul of the party. How many siblings does Peter Meijer have? It reminded me of the time my mom thought she saw a UFO in California; it took her 30 seconds: I saw a UFO. But it took me 45 minutes to figure out that it was a B-2 stealth bomber. Now he laughs at his own navet. He texted with friends. 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. Peter is married to his beautiful wife Gabriella Nascimento-Zacarias Meijer for over three years now. Peter Meijer, a Republican, is celebrated by the furthest left media for his anti-Republican actions during his short time in DC. As a teen, he tried to avoid the attention and expectations that came with his last name by spelling it Meyer at East Grand Rapids High School. announced that he would seek the Republican nomination, the state GOP chair joked with party activists. Then they believed they could wait out his presidency. Describing the strain on his familyhis wife and children required a police escort due to the threats against himGonzalez told The New York Times that seeking reelection wasnt worth it. Gabriella Zacarias is the gorgeous wife of an American politician and business analyst, Peter Meijer. His last service as Acting Deputy Director for Afghanistan was to deliver emergency assistance to aid workers after Kidnappings and targeted killings. More recently, shes become a QAnon follower and devout conspiracy theorist. Meijer was sworn in to the 117th Congress as a freshman on January 3, 2021. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. His cellphone throbbed with furious texts and emails. I have found interest in writing articles like entertainment news, sports, Wikipedia, biography, obituary, News, lifestyle and many more around the world. PETER MEIJER: Thank you for having me on. Its better not to poke the bear, they tell him; better to let Trump and his loyalists forget the name Peter Meijer altogether. He felt that impeachment was warrantedThe vice president and the next two in the line of succession were inside the Capitol as it was being assaulted, he says, and for three hours the president was nowhere to be foundbut he longed for a dialogue. Heres the thing: Some people have not let it go. Meanwhile, Democrats spent about $400,000 to help Mr. Meijers Republican challenger in the Michigan primary. And I think that is fundamentally bad for the country. They say theyre rooting for his side. Peter has served as the U.S representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district. They were discussing the Twenty-Fifth Amendmenttalking about phone calls they made to the White House, encouraging officials to invoke the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, Meijer says. With this, Peter is included in ultrawealthy politicians alongside Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy to Nelson Rockefeller and Michael Bloomberg. At the end of the day, theres been such an echo chamber on the right. He tried telling her as much. How much net worth does Callie Hernandez have. Inside, members were fielding panicked calls from staff and sharing reports of the complex being breached and of tear gas in the Rotunda. Peter was enlisted in the Army Reserve. They are afraid for their careers. Meijer: I think we substantively advanced the issue in the National Security Performance and Accountability Act of 2021 that we introduced in the spring of last year. Four of his bills were signed into law, including establishing a Department of Homeland Security trade and economic security council. Hillary Clinton was probably the worst Democratic nominee of my lifetime. After January 6, Peter Meijer thought he could help lead the Republican Party away from an abyss. He has two siblings namely Haley Meijer and his other sibling details will be updated. 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.. I dont have a visceral hatred of Washington that some do. SIMON: Mr. Meijer, you represent an area of Michigan - Grand Rapids area - that Gerald Ford once represented. After Meijer hung up, he leafed through a copy of The Federalist Papers, hoping for an epiphany. Fred is the one who instilled the feelings and dedication of service and purpose to his eldest grandson Peter. We dont really have the moderating effect of the water cooler in American life, right, where youre like, I think this thing is important out there. I dont think theres a race of lizard people who are controlling our lives. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Michigans Peter Meijer torches Trump, Democratic cynicism and wont rule out another run. The Republican Party needed an intervention over its addiction to Trump. I think Jan. 6 should have been a warning sign, Mr. Meijer said. Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. Incumbent Congressman Peter Meijer (L) and GOP primary challenger John Gibbs (R) West Michigan's 3rd District Republican Congressional primary pits the incumbent, Rep. Peter Meijer against John Gibbs. Rep. Peter Meijer awaits election results at an election night event at Social House on Aug. 2, 2022 in Grand Rapids, Mich. The differentiator between a Republican candidate winning or losing tended to be the level of Mr. Trumps support; the winners themselves ranged widely in terms of their own political brands, from hard-core MAGA to business-backed establishment. But I think in the short term, my focus is much more policy. Son of Hank Meijer and Private Just days after he was sworn in to Congress, former GOP Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan watched in horror as protestors stormed the Capitol. The first trailer for Disney+'s upcoming live-action puts a new spin on the classic story based on the J.M. He pledged to work with the president wherever possible, and ignore him whenever necessary. 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 . But thats also the type of long-term reform where you have to have an understanding and an expectation it will be probably chunked out with an idea of giving folks more comfortable, very substantive change. Everyone fell still; the room full of old friends whod been buying raffle tickets and cracking jokes was suddenly on edge. 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. A senior writer who is dedicated to writing content that is useful and timely to readers. 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 real threat isnt Donald Trump; its somebody who watched Donald Trump and can do this a lot better than he did, Meijer says. His father Hank Meijer is an American billionaire businessman, co-chairman, and CEO of the US supermarket chain Meijer. The district, once represented by then President Gerald Ford is based in Grand Rapids. The stress of the past nine months had ground down the others in the groupwhich, he argued, is exactly what Trump and his cronies wanted. Meijer has served as representative of Michigan's third district since 2021. She acquired her bachelor's degree from Columbia University, where she follows a degree in neuroscience and economics, and graduated in 2016. Meijer: Highly uncertain. Inside the committee room, there was a lot of tension, a lot of suspicion among the members. Catching his breath, Meijer felt like he was back in a war zone. I was surprised to hear Meijer mention Gosar, the conspiracy-spreading, white-nationalist-sympathizing congressman who in November was censured by the House for sharing an animated video that depicted him murdering Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Your email address will not be published. Theres one he thinks of every day: his sister. Thanks so much for being with us. Meijer, 34, a former sergeant in the Army Reserves who served in Iraq, made reforming war powers and veterans issues his top legislative priorities. Peter Meijer, a Republican, is celebrated by the furthest left media for his anti-Republican actions during his short time in DC. 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. Yet you went to a unity rally with him. I said to myself, Theres no safer place to be than inside the chamber, Meijer remembers. He voted with nine . 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. He had cleaned out his office back in October but he still had votes to cast, though none of them as consequential as the one that quite probably cost him his seat. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Here are some tips. He serves on the Committee on Homeland Oversight, Security, Management, and Accountability as a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee. He also pursued his bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology in 2012 at the very University as well as, he served as an advocate on campus for reinstating the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. The country needed a come-to-Jesus conversation about political extremism. He accepted every invitationespecially those that seemed hostileto address local party chapters. 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