Elise Stefanik Defends Trump Support Amidst Dispute With Fox Host

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) engaged in a heated exchange with Fox News host Shannon Bream on Sunday regarding her unwavering support for former President Donald Trump. The confrontation arose during a discussion about Stefanik’s alleged comments regarding Trump’s treatment of women, as reported by The New York Times.

Bream referenced a NYT article from 2023, which cited anonymous sources claiming Stefanik had criticized Trump’s behavior towards women in August 2015. Stefanik swiftly dismissed the article as a “disgrace,” condemning the use of anonymous sources. Despite Bream’s insistence that the article contained named individuals, Stefanik reiterated her stance, denouncing the allegations as false smears.

Stefanik emphasized her steadfast support for Trump, highlighting her role as one of his strongest allies. She refuted claims of wavering loyalty, citing her past defense of Trump amidst attacks from Democrats during the 2016 election. The congresswoman asserted that she proudly backed Trump and believed in his re-election prospects for 2024.

“No, no, Shannon, let me correct you,” Stefanik shot back. “Shannon, let me correct you. This is a false smear, and let me tell you, 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. Democrats spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking me for that fact. So to say that I didn’t support him is just false.”

Bream attempted to probe further, referencing a radio station quote where Stefanik allegedly called Trump “insulting to women.” Stefanik clarified that while she had criticized statements leaked by Democrats in 2016, she stood by and supported Trump throughout his presidency. She praised Trump’s record on promoting women’s economic opportunities and senior positions, reaffirming her unwavering allegiance to the former president.

“I said the statement that the Democrats leaked out in 2016 that that was insulting. However, Shannon, I stood by and supported him. And I strongly support him. And he has done so much to promote women in senior positions as well as promote women’s economic opportunity that we experienced under the four years of his administration. So I’ve been proud to support him. Uh, it’s a disgrace that you would take a New York Times article and just read negative quotes when the reality was, I was the only Republican elected woman from the Northeast who voted for him in 2016 who has strongly supported him and I’m proud to be one of his strongest allies today.”

Stefanik’s staunch defense of Trump comes amidst speculation about her potential role as his running mate in the upcoming 2024 election. NBC News has listed Stefanik as one of several contenders, including figures like North Dakota Governor Doug Bergum, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tim Scott (R-SC), under consideration for the vice presidential position.

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