Derrick Van Orden

Derrick Francis Van Orden (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician, businessman, actor, and retired United States Navy SEAL who is the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Van Orden was born in Minnesota. Van Orden holds a bachelor's degree from Excelsior University, a private online university.

Van Orden joined the United States Navy in 1988 when he was 18 years old. He received orders to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in 1992. After months of training, Van Orden graduated with BUD/S class 184 in October 1992. Van Orden received assignment to SEAL Team FOUR at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va. Following advanced SEAL training and completion of a six month probationary period, he received the Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer (SEAL), entitled to wear the Special Warfare insignia. He served for 26 years, retiring as a Senior Chief in 2014.

During his military career, Van Orden served five combat deployments.

Van Orden played the role of Senior Chief Otto in the 2012 film Act of Valor. He also had roles in the 2018 film Surviving the Wild and Running with the Devil (2019).

Van Orden's book titled A Book of Man: A Navy SEAL's Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood was published in 2015.

In 2017, Van Orden and his wife became owners of the Butternut Cafe.

U.S. House of Representatives

Van Orden won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. As of November 2023, he served on the following legislative committees:

• House Committee on Agriculture
• House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Elections

2020

Van Orden was the Republican nominee for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district in the 2020 election, losing to incumbent Democrat Ron Kind with a margin of about three percentage points.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Van Orden's 2020 campaign.

2022

Van Orden was the Republican nominee for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district in the 2022 election. He defeated Democratic state senator Brad Pfaff by about 3.7 percentage points in the general election and flipped the district from Democrat to Republican for the first time since 1994.

Van Orden focused his 2022 campaign on his military service and the economy. He said President Joe Biden and Democrats were responsible for high inflation and said Plaff would support Democratic economic policies.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Van Orden's 2022 campaign.

Controversies

Van Orden allegedly had an outburst during a White House briefing on the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

January 6th

Van Orden participated in the January 6th "Stop the Steal" rally and was present at the United States Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

LGBT library book incident

On June 17, 2021, Van Orden confronted a teenage library page at Prairie du Chien Memorial Library in indignation over a display of books with LGBT themes assembled for Pride Month. Van Orden was particularly upset by the book A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, about a fictional day in the life of Marlon Bundo, the real-life pet rabbit of former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, and the rabbit's subsequent same-sex romance. Van Orden submitted a written complaint to the library that the book was "skewing young people to think that Republicans are not inclusive. This book is not informational, it is propaganda". A staff member described Van Orden as "very uncomfortable, threatening" with "full-on shouting" and "aggressively shoving the books around". He wanted to know who had established the display so he could "teach them a lesson". Van Orden subsequently withdrew all the books on display out of the library and then returned them within a week.

Yelling at Senate pages

According to Punchbowl News, Van Orden was giving a tour for several dozen visitors around midnight on the evening of July 26, 2023, when he happened upon Senate pages lying on the floor of the rotunda, taking photos of the interior of the Capitol dome; NBC News later reported that this is a traditional activity for the pages to commemorate their last week of service. Punchbowl News also reported that the pages are directed to sit in the rotunda awaiting instructions while the Senate is in late-night session, as it was that night. Van Orden allegedly swore at the pages and told them to get off the floor, then took a bow in front of his supporters.

It was later reported that Van Orden had been partying loudly at an event in his office where alcohol was being served, prior to yelling at the pages, and several news outlets reported that he had bottles of alcohol on desks and in trash cans in his office earlier that evening as part of a party with 50 constituents. His communications director, Anna Kelly, told The Washington Post that Van Orden "regularly hosts beer and cheese tours with constituents."

Van Orden's behavior was condemned by his fellow Republicans, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Thom Tillis, who said, "This is inexcusable and embarrassing behavior for a member of Congress or any adult for that matter. The Congressman should do the right thing and apologize." Republican Representative Chip Roy later took a photo of himself on the floor of the Senate Rotunda in support of the pages.

In January 2024, an ethics complaint was filed against Van Orden for his behavior.

Arrest at Iowa airport with gun

On August 27, 2021, Van Orden was arrested at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after attempting to carry a fully-loaded SIG Sauer handgun with a bullet in the chamber through a security checkpoint and onto a commercial passenger flight. He initially pleaded not guilty, but later waived his rights and pleaded guilty. The court ordered Van Orden to pay fines and complete a gun safety program. He was placed on one year's probation on December 28, 2021.

Van Orden and his wife, Sara Jane, have four children and eight grandchildren. He is a Protestant. In August 2023, Van Orden's oldest daughter, Sydney Marie Martenis, died of cancer.

2020

2022