Democrats Jared Polis, Susie Lee make surprise appearances at Republican Jewish bash
Polis has broken with his party’s orthodoxy repeatedly in the past few months, while Lee represents a competitive district and has close ties with the local Jewish community

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) speaks during the news conference on the Invest to Protect Act outside the Capitol on Thursday, May 12, 2022.
Two elected Democrats turned heads as they made surprise appearances at a Republican Jewish Coalition event celebrating President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington this week.
A representative for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, confirmed that he was in attendance, and Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) was seen in photographs at the inauguration weekend event.
Polis, who is Jewish and seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, has broken with his party’s orthodoxy repeatedly in the past few months, including in offering early support for Trump’s choice of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as secretary of health and human services and supporting key elements of Trump’s deportation and government downsizing plans.
He attended Trump’s inauguration and ordered that flags in his state be flown at full-staff for Inauguration Day, in opposition to outgoing President Joe Biden’s directive that flags be flown half-staff in honor of deceased former President Jimmy Carter. New York and California also flew flags at full-staff on Inauguration Day.
Polis, who represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District for five terms prior to his election as governor, was a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House of Representatives, a group of lawmakers committed to common sense governance and building strong relationships across the aisle. He has also conducted interviews alongside Republican governors in an effort to boost civility and increase dialogue amid rising polarization.
Lee, who represents a perennially competitive district near Las Vegas, has been close with the local Jewish community and maintained a strongly pro-Israel voting record.
A spokesperson for Lee told JI, “Like most members of Congress, Rep. Lee attended many different events this week to spend time with her constituents from Nevada.”
The RJC and Lee did not provide comment.