# How come there are no fun speculations about why Tom Kean Jr. has vanished? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 3, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589 "2026-06-03T14:08:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/61 "2026-06-12T18:48:36Z")
On Facebook Kean’s staffer posts pictures of the community engagement table they set up at various local events. He seems oblivious to how funny a picture of an empty table with Kean’s name is. Well oblivious only if the comments go unread. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/62 "2026-06-12T18:51:55Z")
From a few days ago there was this post with a picture of a staffer and an empty table: “Stop by Team Kean’s booth at the Berkeley Heights Block Party from 12-4 to learn more about constituent services offered!” The top comment was “There is no “Tom” in team.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/63 "2026-06-12T19:00:16Z")
And things like that, folks, is why no matter how aggravating some of y’all may get, or how glitchy the page, I stick around this place. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/64 "2026-06-12T19:00:48Z")
“There’s no Tom in Team” is pretty well done! They should start posting empty suits, or is that too on-the-nose? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/65 "2026-06-13T20:09:45Z")
The New York Times [notes](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/13/nyregion/tom-kean-missing-congress.html) that it’s been a hundred days since the congressman appeared in the House. The article said that the Speaker of the House knows what the medical issue is that’s keeping the congressman away. It also said that he’s traded stocks and introduced remarks into the Congressional Record. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/66 "2026-06-13T22:01:01Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The article said that the Speaker of the House knows what the medical issue is that’s keeping the congressman away. Rep. Mike “I know nothing” Johnson admitted to knowing something? Now I really don’t believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/67 "2026-06-14T02:10:04Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Rep. Mike “I know nothing” Johnson admitted to knowing something? Now I really don’t believe it. Remember he is a Republican politician; therefore there is no reason to believe anything he says. I give the same credence to the Republican operative who accused Graham Platner. Maybe it’s true, but I have no particular reason to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/68 "2026-06-18T21:41:25Z")
One of Kean’s opperatives is now saying he will return on June 30th and all will be revealed then. No explanation as to why the 30th is better than the 18th. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/69 "2026-06-19T00:08:05Z")
So, in about two weeks? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/70 "2026-06-19T00:26:37Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Maybe the transgender surgery didn’t go as expected? Au contraire. On June 30, we’re all going to meet Thomasina Kean. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/71 "2026-06-19T00:46:30Z")
Heheh… TBF, as plot twists go, that would win the year. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/72 "2026-06-19T00:52:57Z")
We do live in the Craziest Timeline, after all… ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/73 "2026-06-19T01:52:48Z")
Here’s an article about it: [https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/06/18/congress/tom-kean-return-00967295](https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/06/18/congress/tom-kean-return-00967295) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/74 "2026-06-19T02:53:46Z")
I remember in the waning days of the Soviet Union, when they claimed that Yuri Andropov had a “bad cold” that wouldn’t go away. Most likely, he was dead and they hadn’t found a replacement. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/75 "2026-06-19T03:10:23Z")
Some inpatient/residential alcohol treatment programs sequester clients for the first 90 days. No contact with the outside world, no phone calls, texts, nothing, not even with spouses and other family. Just sayin’. 🤷🏽 ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/76 "2026-06-25T14:17:23Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Or maybe it’s an alien abduction. Well, if THAT was the truth, apparently they’re done with him. Some reporter walked up to his door and the man himself answered. Or … was it the newly hatched alien/clone/hybrid??? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/77 "2026-06-25T14:21:03Z")
Wait, I hadn’t heard that. When did a reporter see him at home? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/78 "2026-06-25T14:22:04Z")
Like yesterday or something. He’s back at home now, still no explanation of where he was. Apparently, it will all become clear on June 30. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/79 "2026-06-25T14:24:00Z")
**[NY Times headline](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/24/nyregion/tom-kean-missing-found.html)**. I don’t have a subscription, but here’s what is apparently not behind the paywall: > [@](#): > > **Representative Tom Kean, Missing for Months, Is Back Home in New Jersey** > The congressman, who has been absent from Washington since March, answered the door of his home on Wednesday evening. He was wearing a suit and tie. > Published June 24, 2026 | Updated June 25, 2026, 12:21 a.m. ET ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589/80 "2026-06-25T14:27:26Z")
[Here’s a gift link to the article](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/24/nyregion/tom-kean-missing-found.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s1A.5tA3.IL-Lfrz-Tmh9&smid=url-share). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589.md?page=5)