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Trump Says NY Rep. Stefanik ‘Could Be President In About 6 Years’ At Mar-A-Lago Fundraiser

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Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) got a pretty lofty endorsement from former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night at a fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

The fundraiser was for Stefanik, several other Republican candidates, and Trump’s political action committee. Trump teased his audience with the hint that he might run for President in 2024. This was what attracted the most attention.

But Trump also dropped a little nugget about Stefanik, saying, “I want to congratulate Elise on her success. She is moving quickly. That means at this rate she’ll be President in about 6 years.”

The comment is sure to raise eyebrows among Trump’s America First supporters.

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Getting Trump’s Backing

Donald Trump continued to praise Stefanik saying, “She’s always been a friend and people would say she’s upwardly mobile. She goes to Washington as a young beautiful woman who took over and all of a sudden she becomes a rocket ship, she’s the boss. She’s been a great boss, a strong boss.”

Trump supported Stefanik in May 2021 to succeed Rep. Liz Cheney (R.WY) as House Republican Conference Chairman. Cheney being a ‘Never Trumper’ who also voted to impeach the President.

Cheney was one of the two House Republicans who sat on the House Select Committee that investigated the Capitol riot. 

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Not Always A Trump Supporter

Elise Stefanik is one of Donald Trump’s staunchest defenders now, but it has not always been the case.

Early on in the 2016 campaign came Trump’s infamous dust-up with then Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly.

Of Trump’s comments at the time about Kelly, Stefanik said:

“I think he has been insulting to women, I think this may be Mr. Trump’s peak moment. And I think we’re going to see his numbers change and decline over the coming weeks and months as the other candidates have an opportunity to share their vision for the future of this country. We need to ensure that we’re increasing our party’s ability to reach out to women, and I work on that in Congress. This is something I am passionate about. And Donald Trump’s comments have not helped that effort. They’ve hurt that effort.”

Stefanik also attacked Trump’s proposal to ban immigration from terror-sponsoring countries, saying, “This is not who we are as a country… This is not according to our constitutional principle.”

Stefanik was also not on board with Trump’s signature campaign pledge to build a wall on the U.S. southern border. After Trump took office in 2017 she said of building the wall, “I don’t think that’s realistic, I don’t think the President’s plan is exactly right on that.”

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Supporting Republican Women

Elise Stefanik has endorsed eight women across the country who will be running for House seats, 2022. This is despite initial criticisms she made of Donald Trump. In addition to endorsing women running in 2022, she also has a list of 11 “women to watch.”

Monica De La Cruz was one of many Republican Hispanic women in Texas who received an endorsement. De La Cruz is hoping to flip Texas’ 15th congressional district.

Stefanik said of the endorsements, “I look forward to supporting these women across the finish line in both their primaries and general elections. Make no mistake, GOP women will be the first ones through the breach to fire Nancy Pelosi once and for all.”