We were on the same plane flying back from DC where you were setting yourself up to run against me again, your car would not start, and I took 30 min in subzero weather without a jacket to get it started, but that is not Midwest nice? Did you want me to drive you also? I bet that podcaster guy is pissed because you made him look like a fool. https://t.co/UAkqJwjzvF
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) October 17, 2026
The real Derrick Van Orden, not the media facsimile, revealed! I’ve long maintained that Congressman Van Orden has been unfairly stereotyped by the media and left because he’s in an attainable swing seat that he flipped; it was held by a Democrat for more than 20 years, and so they unfairly caricature him as something he is not. In real life, he’s a little salty at times (he’s a former Navy SEAL), but his heart is in the right place, and he truly and deeply cares about people and his community. The stereotype is very unfair. I share this story in that light. Every time I have met him, he has shown the utmost of decorum. This story is also a reminder that politics is kabuki theater. On both sides, people are a lot better to each other without the cameras around. The photos show Derrick Van Orden jumping Rebecca Cooke’s car in a parking garage at Minneapolis St. Paul Airport in the middle of winter. On the evening of February 13th, 2025, DVO was returning on a flight from Washington D.C. (DCA), arriving at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP). On the same flight, returning from DCA was Rebecca Cooke. Once the plane landed and the deboarding process began, DVO had a brief and friendly interaction with Rebecca Cooke on the plane. When DVO was picked up from the airport, he received several text messages from Rebecca Cooke following their exchange on the plane, saying she could not start her vehicle. NOTE - the weather that day reached below-zero temperatures. The following text exchange between DVO and Rebecca Cooke took place starting at 7:21PM CT: DVO: “Sorry I missed you. Travel well.” Cooke: “Trying to hustle home. Just got to my car and it won’t start!” DVO: “Where are you?” Cooke: “In the parking ramp, but I'm just gonna find someone in here.” Cooke: “I’ve got cables” DVO: “What ramp and floor, we will be right there” Cooke: “Blue ramp, floor 6, row Q, ford escape” DVO: “On the way” DVO: “Be there in 5. At the gate” Cooke: “Ok thank you so much! No one is in here.” Cooke: “Sorry to ask!” DVO: “No worries.” Cooke: “You can come down row p” Cooke: “And there is a spot right across” DVO: “What color?” *DVO jumps Rebecca Cooke’s car, taking longer than normal (approximately 30 minutes) due to extreme cold temperatures. Cooke: “Know that wasn’t on your dance card tonight! Appreciate the jump and your patience until it finally turned over. Running fine now, blasting heat! Travel safe to EC. See ya down the road. I owe ya” DVO: “I am glad we could help you out. If you ever need anything, pls reach out. Travel well” After DVO helped Cooke start her car, they hugged and went on their separate ways. Feel good story of the day! #breaking #BreakingNews #wisconsin
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) October 17, 2026
The real Derrick Van Orden, not the media facsimile, revealed!
I’ve long maintained that Congressman Van Orden has been unfairly stereotyped by the media and left because he’s in an attainable swing seat that he flipped; it was held by a Democrat for more than 20 years, and so they unfairly caricature him as something he is not.
In real life, he’s a little salty at times (he’s a former Navy SEAL), but his heart is in the right place, and he truly and deeply cares about people and his community. The stereotype is very unfair. I share this story in that light. Every time I have met him, he has shown the utmost of decorum.
This story is also a reminder that politics is kabuki theater. On both sides, people are a lot better to each other without the cameras around.
The photos show Derrick Van Orden jumping Rebecca Cooke’s car in a parking garage at Minneapolis St. Paul Airport in the middle of winter.
On the evening of February 13th, 2025, DVO was returning on a flight from Washington D.C. (DCA), arriving at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP).
On the same flight, returning from DCA was Rebecca Cooke. Once the plane landed and the deboarding process began, DVO had a brief and friendly interaction with Rebecca Cooke on the plane.
When DVO was picked up from the airport, he received several text messages from Rebecca Cooke following their exchange on the plane, saying she could not start her vehicle. NOTE - the weather that day reached below-zero temperatures.
The following text exchange between DVO and Rebecca Cooke took place starting at 7:21PM CT:
DVO: “Sorry I missed you. Travel well.”
Cooke: “Trying to hustle home. Just got to my car and it won’t start!”
DVO: “Where are you?”
Cooke: “In the parking ramp, but I'm just gonna find someone in here.”
Cooke: “I’ve got cables”
DVO: “What ramp and floor, we will be right there”
Cooke: “Blue ramp, floor 6, row Q, ford escape”
DVO: “On the way”
DVO: “Be there in 5. At the gate”
Cooke: “Ok thank you so much! No one is in here.”
Cooke: “Sorry to ask!”
DVO: “No worries.”
Cooke: “You can come down row p”
Cooke: “And there is a spot right across”
DVO: “What color?”
*DVO jumps Rebecca Cooke’s car, taking longer than normal (approximately 30
minutes) due to extreme cold temperatures.
Cooke: “Know that wasn’t on your dance card tonight! Appreciate the jump and your
patience until it finally turned over. Running fine now, blasting heat! Travel safe to EC.
See ya down the road. I owe ya”
DVO: “I am glad we could help you out. If you ever need anything, pls reach out. Travel
well”After DVO helped Cooke start her car, they hugged and went on their separate ways.
Feel good story of the day!
Replies