Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) rebuffed criticism of former President Trump, instead arguing that President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party are threats to American democracy. The representative also shadowed a recent argument by Trump that those arrested since the Jan. 6, 2021 protests are “hostages.”
Host Kristen Welker asked Stefanik about whether she would certify the 2024 election “no matter what they show?” Stefanik replied that she would have to “see if this is a legal and valid election.” She further said that “Democrats are so desperate” in attempting to remove the former president from the ballot, citing the ‘insurrection’ clause of the 14th Amendment.”
In 2021, Stefanik joined almost 150 House Republicans in voting not to certify the 2020 election.
Stefanik called out the president by name during an NBC News interview this weekend.
“We see Democrats attempting to remove President Trump from the ballot. We saw this in Colorado and Maine,” she said. “That is a suppression of the American people and the American people’s ability to cast their ballots this November, so it’s Democrats that are a threat to democracy.”
“We see Democrats attempting to remove President Trump from the ballot. We saw this in Colorado and Maine. That is a suppression of the American people and the American people's ability to cast their ballots this November, so it's Democrats that are a threat to democracy.” on… pic.twitter.com/kjuNKBYsaT
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 7, 2024
The leading House Republican reflected recent statements about those arrested after the Jan. 6 protests.
“Release the J6 hostages, Joe,” the former president said at an Iowa rally this weekend. “Release them, Joe. You can do it real easy, Joe.”
“I have concerns about the treatment of January 6 hostages,” Stefanik said during the interview. “We have a role in Congress of oversight over our treatment of prisoners.”
“We’re seeing the weaponization of the federal government against not just President Trump, but we’re seeing it against conservatives, we’re seeing it against Catholics,” she added.
Stefanik added that she “stood for election integrity and security of our elections” and added her opinion that the “real threat to our democracy is these baseless with hunt investigations and lawsuits against President Trump.”
She added that she would be “honored to serve in any capacity in a Trump administration” and cited the fact that she was the first member of the U.S. Congress to back him in his 2024 campaign.
