Rep. Elise Stefanik defended her current staunch support for former President Donald Trump on Sunday and its apparent inconsistency with her previous remarks about him.
In a spirited exchange with host Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday,” Ms. Stefanik attacked the anchor for citing a 2023 New York Times article that detailed her flip-flopping opinion of Mr. Trump in the context of widespread speculation now that she could be his vice-presidential pick.
“Well, Shannon, it’s a disgrace that you would quote The New York Times with nameless, faceless, false sources,” Ms. Stefanik replied.
“Shannon, they are not quoting my friends, those names are not included because they are false smears. I was attacked,” she said.
The New York lawmaker railed against the question, talking over Ms. Bream when she denied that the article had no names.
“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. 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.”
Ms. Bream then asked Ms. Stefanik whether a comment she made on a New York radio show in 2015 when, in the context of Mr. Trump entering the presidential race, she called him “insulting to women,” was a “misquote.”
“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 out of the four years of his administration,” Ms. Stefanik said.
“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,” she said.
Ms. Bream, to simmer down the conversation, placated Ms. Stefanik, and said “folks can go read that article for themselves.”
The anchor then added: “There are plenty of names of people who went on the record, and we will leave it there. Clearly, you are supportive of him now.”