“Been a Never Trumper since the 80s. 8647” – Peter Van Dyke, Toms River Republican Party Municipal Chairman
Toms River, NJ – Earlier this year, Peter Van Dyke, a Toms River lawyer won his re-election bid for the chairman of the Toms River Republican Committee, an influential committee that chooses candidates to be on the ballot as Republicans in the township.
That committee will decide who will be the next Repbulican party endorsed mayor in the next election.
This week, Van Dyke, whose name has been mentioned in political circles to run for mayor in Toms River in 2027, has drawn attention to social media posts in which he publicly described himself as a “Never Trumper” and supported the controversial phrase “8647” in connection with President Donald Trump.
Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick, who has shown his support for President Trump’s initiatives says that Van Dyke’s comments do not represent him, the township. Rodrick, a Republican, has been at odds with the Toms River Regular Republican Club and the Mo-Hill backed Republicans for Toms River Club. The two clubs recently announced a unification in order to restore and regain control of the township’s professional contracts, appointments, and confidential assistant jobs cut under Rodrick’s cost-cutting measures and to push to overturn Rodrick’s anti-over-development agenda in the township.
In June, the Toms River GOP announced Van Dyke’s re-election in a Facebook post congratulating him on another term as chairman, along with Ashley Lamb on her election as vice chairwoman, earlier this year. Lamb, the President of the Toms River School Board and recently appointed deputy clerk for Ocean County
“Their leadership, dedication, and commitment to our community continue to strengthen the Republican organization here in Toms River,” the club wrote. “We look forward to working together to advance conservative values and serve the residents of our township.”
Now, Van Dyke is on social media calling for the elimination of the party’s commander-in-chief, President Donald J. Trump.
Social media posts resurface
Following the announcement, screenshots from Van Dyke’s Facebook activity began circulating online.
In one screenshot, Van Dyke commented on a Facebook post asking, “Who can honestly say that they never supported Donald Trump even for a single moment?”
Van Dyke replied, “Been a Never Trumper since the 80s.”
In another comment visible in the same screenshot, Van Dyke added “8647.”
The phrase “8647” has been used in political discussions online with differing interpretations. Some people use “86” as slang for “remove” or “reject,” while others have interpreted the phrase as implying violence toward the 47th president. Federal officials have previously investigated public uses of the phrase in other contexts after it appeared in social media posts involving President Trump.
No public response
As of Wednesday, Van Dyke has not publicly addressed the resurfaced screenshots or commented on the meaning of his “8647” post. We reached out to the chairman, but did not receive a response.
Shore News Network has reached out to Peter Van Dyke and the Toms River Republican Club for comment regarding the screenshots and will update this story if a response is received. We have also reached out to the Toms River Republican Club, Toms River Republican Club President Carmen Memoli, Ocean County GOP spokesperson Tom Bonfonti, and Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore for comment.
None have responded to our request for comment.
