Rep. Chris Smith has announced his support for former President Donald Trump in this year’s presidential election. Despite their tumultuous relationship in the past, Smith has chosen to put aside their differences and back Trump’s bid for the White House.
Smith, who has represented various parts of New Jersey in Congress for over 43 years, attended Trump’s rally in Wildwood earlier this month, where Trump praised him as “a fighter for me for a long time.” This marks a significant shift from Trump’s previous criticism of Smith, who he had encouraged to be challenged in a primary election in 2021.
At the time, Trump was displeased with Smith’s decision to support the certification of the 2020 election and a bipartisan infrastructure bill. However, since then, the two have seemingly reconciled, with Smith now supporting Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Frankly, what’s happening in New York, all of this weaponization of our judiciary – I found it appalling. It’s the same thing they do in Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua,” Smith told the NJ Globe. “I think it’s awful to go after a president using trumped-up charges.”
With Smith’s endorsement, Trump now has the backing of two out of three Republican members of Congress from New Jersey. Rep. Jeff Van Drew has been a long-time ardent supporter of Trump and is serving as his campaign chair in the state. The only remaining Republican, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., has been hesitant to discuss Trump publicly since his congressional campaign in 2020.