In a fiery exchange on Fox News Sunday, Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) vehemently defended her steadfast support for former President Donald Trump, clashing with host Shannon Bream over a New York Times hit piece.
The article in question portrayed Stefanik as a one-time skeptic of Trump who has since transformed into a vocal ally, a narrative Stefanik branded as a calculated smear.
Rep. Elise Stefanik is reportedly on the short list of possible contenders to be Trump’s running mate. Trump himself reportedly referred to Stefanik as ‘a killer’ during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.
As a result, the far-left New York Times article interviewed several individuals claiming to be Stefanik’s former friends. They described Stefanik’s transformation into a Trump loyalist as surprising and inconsistent with her previous views.
Bream challenged Stefanik: “The New York Times had a lengthy piece where they talk about your transformation. They say from somebody who was not supportive of President Trump to somebody who is full-throatedly supportive of him. They say you called him a ‘whack job’ at one point. They add this, ‘In August 2015, she told a New York radio station that he was ‘insulting to women,’ and that his candidacy would hurt the party’s efforts to attract female voters.’
“‘According to her former friends, she thought Mr. Trump was too awful and ridiculous to be taken seriously… Her revisionism still shocks those who have known her the longest and who remember the disdain she expressed for Mr. Trump back then.’ So the question is, when? More importantly, why did you change your mind about President Trump?” Bream asked.
Stefanik hit back immediately: “Well, Shannon, it’s a disgrace that you would quote the New York Times with nameless, faceless, false sources.”
Bream defended her position: “But they’re calling you your friend, so I’m giving you a chance to respond to that.”
“No, Shannon. They’re not quoting my friends. Those names are not included because they are false smears,” Stefanik retorted.
Despite Bream’s insistence that there were named sources in the lengthy hit piece, Stefanik stood her ground: “This is a false smear. 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… To say that I didn’t support him is just false.”
Stefanik went on to affirm her unwavering support for Trump, stating that she had always put “New York 21 first, and America first” and that her record spoke for itself.
When Bream pressed Stefanik about a quote attributed to her calling Trump “insulting to women,” Stefanik clarified that the statement was in response to a leaked comment from Democrats in 2016.
“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. 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. I’ve been proud to support him.
In a pointed critique of the media’s coverage, Stefanik accused Bream of perpetuating the Times’ narrative.
“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,” said Stefanik.
As the interview wrapped up, Bream noted that the public could read the New York Times piece for themselves, acknowledging the on-the-record sources cited in the article. However, Stefanik insisted on her unwavering support for Trump from as early as 2016, urging Bream to communicate this consistency to the viewers.
