During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, MAGA Republican and staunch Trump supporter Elise Stefanik found herself in a tense exchange with host Shannon Bream regarding former President Trump’s remarks about women.
Bream referenced a New York Times article that highlighted Stefanik’s shift towards becoming a Trump loyalist, citing comments from her former friends.
In the discussion, Bream read a 2015 quote from Stefanik featured in the article, where she had criticized Trump as “insulting to women” and expressed concerns about his impact on the Republican party’s reputation among half of the American population.
“The question is when, and more importantly, why, did you change your opinion about President Trump?” asked Ms Bream. Stefanik swiftly responded to Bream’s question by criticizing her for referencing The New York Times article, deeming it “disgraceful” to quote from that source.
“Shannon, it’s a disgrace that you would quote The New York Times,” she said. Ms Bream interjected, saying: “But they’re quoting you, Congresswoman.”
“No, no, no, Shannon … they’re not quoting my friends. Those names are not included because they are false smears,” the lawmaker fired back, calling her critics “nameless” and “faceless”. Once more, Bream clarified the situation by pointing out that some of Stefanik’s critics were identified by name.
“This is a false smear. And let me tell you … a fact, Shannon, in 2016, I was attacked as the only elected Republican from the Northeast who voted for President Trump,” she said.
“Democrats spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking me for that fact, too. So, to say that I didn’t support him is just false. I have been proud to be one of the strongest supporters going back to when he ran for 2016, which was when it was my first reelection to the House.”
Despite not actively campaigning for the speaker position last year, Stefanik found herself entangled in her party’s chaotic removal of their leader, Kevin McCarthy. She ultimately nominated Jim Jordan for the speakership, only to witness her conservative ally’s defeat.
“To be fair, there are a number of names of people who are quoted in the article,” she said. Stefanik vehemently asserted that the story was a “false smear,” emphasizing her initial public endorsement of Mr. Trump when he assumed office.
Stefanik is believed to be among the Republicans competing to become Mr. Trump’s running mate in 2024, as the former president looks for a loyal candidate who will comply with his requests and preferences. This comes after Mike Pence’s refusal to support Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in 2020.
Other individuals reportedly under consideration for the position by Trump include Senators Tim Scott and Marco Rubio, along with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
The shift from being a Trump critic to a staunch Trump supporter has garnered significant attention in major newspapers like The Times, becoming a notable aspect of her political journey that she has found challenging to distance herself from.
With Trump currently facing a criminal trial in New York and encountering three additional criminal cases, including those related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, the selection of his running mate is considered increasingly crucial this year.
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