The day after President Trump endorsed Elise Stefanik, the North Country New York congresswoman discussed with the Washington Examiner the future of conservatism, the importance of community and localism in shaping the direction of the Republican Party, and where the movement goes if and when the president is no longer in the White House.

The vivacious representative, the first in her family to graduate from college, said she has stayed determined to be her own person and represent her district’s values in Washington. It has made her a darling of populist conservatives and a major target across the aisle.