Donald Norcross compared Jeff Van Drew to Hitler at a Gloucester County rally and later apologized

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.) compared his South Jersey Republican colleague U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew to Adolf Hitler while mocking him during a Saturday get-out-the-vote rally in Gloucester County.

After being reached by The Inquirer, Norcross apologized to Van Drew and said he went “too far” earlier that day.

“Donald, my undying, I pledge to you!” Norcross cried out after getting down on his knees in front of a crowd of roughly 200 Democratic supporters at the Deptford Eventure Center in Westville, referencing Van Drew’s support for President Donald Trump.

Snapping out of character, he said: “Jesus Christ! Oh my God! You remember that bulls—? A guy from Jersey on his knee? That’s disgusting.”

Norcross — whose district includes all of Camden County, much of Gloucester County, and parts of Burlington County — is facing a long shot challenge from Republican Damon Galdo, a West Deptford podcaster who works in construction. But he focused his attention Saturday more on Van Drew, who represents a sprawling neighboring South Jersey district that spans from parts of Gloucester County down to Cape May.

Norcross was joined by fellow Democrats U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock, who is challenging Van Drew, for a rally to energize supporters 10 days ahead of the midterms.

Mullock did not comment on Norcross’ speech Saturday.

Three Gloucester County Democratic commissioners who are running for reelection — Jim Jefferson, Joann Gattinelli, and Matthew Weng — and U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat representing Maryland, also made appearances.

Democrats are particularly sour on Van Drew, who served in local and state positions for years and was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 2018 before switching to the Republican Party and vowing his “undying support” to Trump a year later. Van Drew has warded off challengers ever since, but the race has attracted increasing national attention in recent weeks as Democrats anticipate a blue wave.

Norcross said onstage he knew Van Drew leaned conservative even before they got to Congress.

“He called himself a Democrat,” Norcross said. He bemoaned Van Drew’s opposition to raising the state’s minimum wage while they served in the state legislature together.

Norcross also made fun of Van Drew’s shoes, saying “now he wears them pointy boots that you can’t kill cockroaches on ‘em. Ah, the guy’s losing!” before commenting on his hair. Norcross also referred to a white handkerchief that Van Drew used to wear in his jacket pockets, which which was folded to show a series of peaks.

“That haircut: If it was darker, that’s Hitler’s haircut. That tells you who he really is. And those things he used to wear in his pocket, those three things. … The Klan hats he used to wear there, remember that? This is the real Jeff Van Drew.”

Norcross called Van Drew to apologize after The Inquirer asked about the remarks.

“Whatever implications there were from my comments, I did not mean them that way. I went too far,” Norcross said through a spokesperson.

After Norcross apologized to him, Van Drew said on the phone that he was “profoundly disappointed” by his colleague’s remarks, which he called “rough and inappropriate for a congressman.”

“I think he agrees,” Van Drew added. “I think he knows it now. I guess he got caught up in the moment.”

Van Drew said he accepted Norcross’ apology, he’s glad he called, and that it’s time to move on.

“Hopefully he has learned a lesson from it,” the Republican added.

When asked for comment on Norcross’ remarks before the apology, Van Drew’s spokesperson Ron Filan said the Republican lawmaker is praying for his Democratic colleague.

“When Congressman Norcross was in the hospital last year, Congressman Van Drew reached out to see how he was doing and prayed for him,” Filan said. “He will continue to pray for him especially considering what he has just said and done. That tells you everything you need to know about who Jeff Van Drew really is.”

At the rally, Norcross, all fired up, also used a swear word when talking about high gas prices amid Trump’s war in Iran, and was met with cheers.

“I’m not going to say anything today that we didn’t say with that one second to go in the Eagles game. … So forgive me, I’m an electrician,” he joked onstage.

Steve Sweeney, the former longtime state senator who now works as the Gloucester County administrator and chairs the county’s Democratic committee, also referenced Van Drew’s decision to support Trump with a graphic metaphor at the rally.

“You saw when Jeff got down on his knee and kissed Donald Trump’s ass in front of the whole world. We’re gonna get rid of him real soon,” Sweeney said, which he later said he stood by “1,000%.”

Sweeney, a longtime friend of Norcross, said before Norcross’ apology that he is “not going to criticize Donald for his opinion” when asked if the lawmaker’s comparisons went too far. He expressed that he also isn’t a fan of Van Drew’s hairstyle — or policies.

At the rally, Norcross introduced Mullock as the “Jeff Van Drew slayer.” The Jersey Shore mayor’s voice was strained, completely shot from his many speeches on the campaign trail — and likely his tense debate with Van Drew two days earlier.

Mullock criticized Van Drew’s vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made cuts to federal healthcare programs, and noted, “I know I sound like I’m a person who really needs some good healthcare right now.”

Booker joked that Mullock “may have a weak voice” but “has a strong heart.”

“When we elect him to the House of Representatives, you can turn off the TV, because you know we will have taken back the House,” the senator said. “You can turn off the TV because you know that that is going to shock the nation. That even the president of the United States will get the message. And any of the remaining Republicans in Congress, we’re going to say, ‘I’m not going to hitch my wagon to that guy.’ We have so much power in this county.”