Rep. Jeff Van Drew: Mass National Guard Deployment During Inauguration Was ‘Overkill’

In this screenshot from the RNC’s livestream of the 2020 Republican National Convention, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) addresses the virtual convention on Aug. 27, 2020. Photo Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) has called the deployment of tens of thousands of National Guard troops on inauguration day hypocrisy and “overkill.”

Democrat-turned-Republican Van Drew, who serves as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told Newsmax on Saturday that he thought it was hypocritical of Democrats to send tens of thousands of National Guard troops to defend President Joe Biden’s inauguration when they thought it was unnecessary to deploy the same troops to protect public safety in several cities attacked by rioters over the summer.