Former President Donald Trump is said to be contemplating Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as his potential vice presidential candidate if he secures the Republican Party presidential primary.
This development coincides with Stefanik’s announcement of her intention to campaign alongside Trump in New Hampshire before the state’s upcoming first-in-the-nation primaries.
Sources within Trump’s circle assert that the New York congresswoman is a top contender due to a crucial quality he values in a 2024 running mate: loyalty. According to NBC News, Trump perceives loyalty as paramount, especially in light of his perspective on Mike Pence’s perceived missteps. A Republican campaign operative stated, “If you’re Trump, you want someone who’s loyal above all else. Particularly because he sees Mike Pence as having made a fatal sin.”
Discussions about Stefanik’s potential vice presidential role arose during a December dinner with Mar-a-Lago members, where attendees praised her for a recent viral moment. This occurred when she interrogated university presidents about antisemitism on campus during a congressional hearing. At the event, Trump responded to inquiries about considering her by saying, “She’s a killer.”
Although Stefanik was once labeled a “moderate Republican” and contributed to Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, her current Conservative Review’s Liberty Score of 48%, graded as an “F,” places her above Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) but below Romney. Critics, especially conservatives, have pointed to her initial support for the pro-LGBT Equality Act in 2019, later reversed, and her 2022 vote in favor of codifying same-sex marriage into law among actions that have drawn criticism.