As she transformed from standard-issue Republican into MAGA superstar, Elise Stefanik became among the most reliable defenders of Donald Trump, standing with him on impeachment and his campaign to overturn the 2020 election results. But with her name increasingly floated as a possible vice presidential candidate, the fourth-ranking House Republican has been taking an even less subtle approach to displaying her Trumpist bona fides.
On Monday, Trump’s planned testimony in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation trial against him was delayed. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan sent a juror home after they reported feeling ill, and Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba revealed that she had been recently exposed to COVID-19 by her relatives, per NBC News. The trial will likely continue on Tuesday, though Habba requested that Trump be allowed to testify on Wednesday due to the New Hampshire primary the day prior.
Seemingly every other person in New York is ill with one kind of respiratory condition or another. But some supporters of Trump online naturally saw a conspiracy, alleging that Kaplan was intentionally pulling the ex-president off the trail ahead of Tuesday’s election. Stefanik soon joined the chorus, writing on X, “This is blatant election interference! Joe Biden and his Democrat cronies are the true threats to democracy! TRUMP 2024!”
Stefanik’s water-carrying came on the heels of perhaps an even more shameless incident of Trump worship. Stefanik had joined her hero on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, introducing him at a rally and making multiple stops including visiting with volunteers phone banking.
During one of those stop, on Saturday, Stefanik was asked about a major Trump error from the previous night, in which he mixed up campaign rival Nikki Haley with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during a stump speech. Rather than defend the mix-up, ignore the question, or attack the reporter — all acceptable options in MAGA world — Stefanik suggested that Trump’s words were actually intentional.
“The reality is Nikki Haley is relying on Democrats just like Nancy Pelosi to try to have a desperate showing in New Yor—- inNew Hampshire,” she wrote.
Stefanik has also recently filed judicial complaints against Judge Arthur F. Engoron, who is presiding over Trump’s New York civil-fraud case, and Judge Beryl Howell, who has overseen several January 6–related cases. She accused Engoron of “inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance” and alleged Howell committed “highly inappropriate election interference” by giving a speech that made reference to the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol while accepting an award.
Though Stefanik would not confirm whether she’s had conversations with Trump about being his veep, she seemed open to the idea of serving as his running mate during an interview on Meet the Press earlier this month.
“Well, I, of course, would be honored to serve in any capacity in a Trump administration. I’m proud to be the first member of Congress to endorse his reelection. I’m proud to be a strong supporter of President Trump and he’s going to win this November,” she said.
