Former President Donald Trump fanned House Republicans’ civil war flames, pumping up New York Rep. Elise Stefanik to replace Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
“The House GOP has a massive opportunity to upgrade this week from warmonger Liz Cheney to gifted communicator Elise Stefanik,” Trump said in a statement on Monday. “Elise has intelligence, an endorsement from American Patriot Brandon Judd and the National Border Patrol Council, she has an A+ from the NRA, and she loves our Veterans. We need someone in Leadership who has experience flipping districts from Blue to Red as we approach the important 2022 midterms, and that’s Elise! She knows how to win, which is what we need!”
No. 3 House Republican Cheney already survived one challenge to her leadership position in February after she voted to impeach Trump. But her frequent criticism of the former president and public refutation of his election fraud claims have frustrated her colleagues in the House.
Stefanik, in contrast, was part of Trump’s impeachment defense team in 2019, objected to congressional certification of the 2020 election results from Pennsylvania, and has leaned into Republican base concerns about election administration.
WHO IS ELISE STEFANIK, FAVORITE TO REPLACE LIZ CHENEY?
In addition to Trump, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise have expressed their support for making Stefanik conference chairwoman, a role focused on messaging.
Trump’s public reinforcement of Stefanik could help quell concerns from some Republicans that Stefanik is not ideologically conservative enough. Skeptics cite voting scorecards from the Club for Growth, Heritage Action, and the American Conservative Union that show Cheney with higher ratings than the 36-year-old New York congresswoman.
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The House returns from a district work period on Tuesday, and a vote on Cheney’s leadership may happen at Wednesday’s morning conference meeting.
