Trump Endorses Missing Congressman, Says He's Working Tirelessly

In a move that raises more questions than it answers, President Donald Trump has thrown his full weight behind Congressman Tom Kean Jr., despite the New Jersey representative having vanished from Capitol Hill for the past three months.

On Monday, June 2, Trump posted to Truth Social with characteristic enthusiasm, calling Kean a“Great Representative”and“Tremendous Advocate”of the America First agenda. The endorsement was sweeping—Trump highlighted Kean’s supposed tireless work on border security, migrant crime, economic growth, tax cuts, small business support, energy independence, military backing, and Second Amendment protection. There’s just one catch: Kean hasn’t actually been present on Capitol Hill to do any of it. His last recorded vote came on March 5, leaving him absent for over 100 votes in the months since.

Kean, 57, has attributed his extended absence to a“personal medical issue,”stating in late April through a post on X that his doctors assured him of a full recovery. He pledged a swift return to“a full schedule and 100 percent”capacity, while also praising his congressional and political teams for keeping things running. In a telephone interview with the New Jersey Globe last month, he reiterated confidence in his recovery, saying his doctors were“confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery.”Yet despite these assurances, he remained absent.

The timing of Trump’s endorsement is particularly notable, as it came just ahead of the June 2 Republican primary election—which Kean won unopposed anyway. The real test will come in November’s general election against the Democratic primary winner. Whether voters in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District will embrace a congressman who’s been medically sidelined for a quarter of the year remains to be seen. Kean reshared Trump’s message of support, calling on constituents to vote, but the fundamental question lingers: can a representative truly serve constituents while largely absent from the job?