Tom Kean Jr., the New Jersey Republican congressman whose four-month absence from the House this year went unexplained until he disclosed that he was being treated for depression, clashed Sunday with Democratic opponent Rebecca Bennett in the battleground district over his support for President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war.
Appearing on stage together for their first and only debate before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Kean latched himself to Trump’s divisive record, defending Trump’s signature protectionist economic policies that have roiled global trade and backing Trump’s decision to launch attacks on Iran, saying the country could not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Bennett, a Navy veteran, sought to tap into public discontent over rising prices, and urged an end to the war and called on Congress to rein in Trump’s use of tariffs on imports.
The 7th Congressional District, which includes Trump’s Bedminster golf club, has changed party control in each of the past two midterm elections, making it a magnet for campaign spending and a political barometer. Republicans are trying to defend their narrow House majority at a time when Trump’s approval rating is deeply underwater and gas prices are rising because of his war with Iran.
Kean, who has voted against resolutions aimed at halting military action in Iran, defended the war.
“I think when you look at what Iran’s terrorist leadership says — they say death to America. They have as their goal a nuclear weapon,” Kean said.
