Elise Stefanik predicts stock prices will rise on Trump’s ‘bet’

The stock price of Representative Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.), who is in the running for former President Trump’s running mate, is rising rapidly.

Stefanik, the No. 4 Republican in the House, has become a close ally of Trump and is positioned as a betting favorite to clinch the Republican presidential ticket if the front-runner wins his party’s nomination. is increasing.

She canceled her campaign to support the former president, frequently issuing statements and social media messages supporting him, and sometimes echoing his controversial words. She has also made political and legislative moves that emphasize her loyalty to Trump.

In early January, Stefanik withdrew his support for Ohio Republican candidate for Congress, Craig Riedel. Leaked audio showed Stefanik calling Trump “arrogant” and saying she did not want the former president’s support. In her post to X, she said she was “very disappointed in the inappropriate comments regarding President Trump.”

In June, Stefanik introduced a resolution to vacate the impeachment of Trump over the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, taking the first step to dispel the impeachment that some of his Republican colleagues supported. . This month, she referred to the Jan. 6 rioters as “hostages,” mimicking a widely criticized term used by President Trump.

She also supported the former president’s re-election campaign in November 2022, even before he officially launched his campaign. It was a preemptive endorsement that reflected her unquestioning support for the former commander-in-chief. But she said she would not commit to certifying the 2024 election results, saying “we’re going to make sure this is a legal and valid election.”

The Republican conference chairman has also spearheaded a number of judicial complaints against judges overseeing cases involving former presidents.

“The important thing about Elise is that she’s in Trump’s closest inner circle,” a source close to Trump and Stefanik told The Hill on condition of anonymity to speak candidly. “He trusts her, they talk regularly, and you know, she’s his chief advocate on Capitol Hill and everyone knows that.

A source close to the Trump campaign told The Hill that Stefanik “has been in the trenches and kicking every ball for Mr. Trump every day since the beginning of the House impeachment hearings.” .

“And of course we all know she’s a passionate person, but if you look at what she did in the recent hearings on anti-Semitism, it’s a very difficult subject. Quite a fire. came out and she didn’t even stoop,” the source added. “It was a demonstration of her mettle beyond defending Mr. Trump. It opened up a whole other dimension for Elise Stefanik.”

One attendee told NBC News that Trump did call Stefanik a “murderer” at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month. He also praised her questioning of university presidents during hearings on anti-Semitism, which went viral and led leaders at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania to her resignation.

“Elise became very famous because she took on the top positions at MIT, Penn, and Harvard,” President Trump, who at one point mispronounced her name, said at a recent rally in New Hampshire. “And it was done in a surgical way. Wasn’t it pretty?”

Indeed, Stefanik said in an interview earlier this month on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he remains open to joining Trump on the Republican ticket. Asked about his role as vice president, he said, “Of course I would be honored to hold any position in the Trump administration.”

“We need to make sure that President Trump is in the strongest position to win the general election,” she added. “That’s what I’ve been focused on and will continue to be focused on.”

Some Republicans said it was clear she wanted to be President Trump’s No. 2.

“There’s no question that she wants to be considered as a vice presidential candidate, which is why she’s received so much attention lately,” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist and former aide to top House Republicans. He appeared to express his high support and generate speculation.” Senate Republican leadership.

However, some members of Congress rejected the idea that Stefanik was auditioning for the job, arguing that her recent actions were consistent with her history.

“I think she’s doing what she believes is necessary to support Donald Trump and provide leadership for the country,” Rep. Mark Molinaro (N.Y.) told The Hill. . “For me, it’s not an audition. It’s, you know, a continuation of her work over the last few years.”

“I think the public only sees her as defending most of the views of the base,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told The Hill, adding that Stefanik He said he did not see him as eager for the job. She said, “She sees a lot of people who are suffering because of him, and they probably fit that criteria.There are quite a few, so I don’t draw them just for her. It’s not.”

Stefanik would make sense as Trump’s running mate for a variety of reasons.

It is generally considered wise for President Trump to include a woman on his ticket, and Stefanik’s loyalty will be appreciated. She is also known for being combative with the press, which President Trump may like.

Former Rep. John Faso (N.Y.), who served with Mr. Stefanik, said his former colleague “can really parry and push the other side and the media.”

“I think this is one of her strongest suits. She’s unflappable and very smart,” he added.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Stefanik also share a trajectory, including Caroline Leavitt, a former Trump White House aide who later served as Mr. Stefanik’s communications director. Mr. Levitt currently serves as press secretary for the Trump campaign. Additionally, Ali Black joined Trump’s 2020 campaign as deputy director of communications and is currently working under Stefanik.

However, choosing Stefanik as his running mate may have drawbacks.

House Republicans represent districts in New York, which is not a battleground state in the general election. But in 2016, Trump nominated Indiana’s Mike Pence as his running mate, but this was from a solidly red state.

There are also likely to be other strong candidates, including Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio (Republican), Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina (Republican), and Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota (Republican). represents the red states.

Some have raised questions about whether President Trump would want to choose a rising star as his running mate and whether Stefanik, 39, is too young for the role. Some say her youth will be a big advantage in the race between Trump and President Biden.

People close to Stefanik dismissed any concerns about her age or experience and compared her favorably to other potential candidates in that regard.

“This is sexist. Aries is older than President-elect Pete Buttigieg and has more experience in senior positions than Vivek Ramaswamy or J.D. Vance. “He has more experience than the current vice president,” the source said, referring to Kamala Harris, who served in the Senate for four years before becoming vice president.

Stefanik, a former staffer in the George W. Bush administration, has long been seen as a moderate voice in the Republican conference.

She gained national attention in 2019 for her public role defending Trump during his first impeachment.

Stefanik comes after House Republicans ousted former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who was the conference chair at the time, after the lawmaker disputed Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen. As a result, he was promoted to leadership in 2021.

As Cheney’s successor, Stefanik cemented her reputation as a Trump supporter in the House and capped a shake-up that has stoked some discontent among many Republicans.

Meanwhile, some Republicans and some Democrats have argued that adding Stefanik to the list could help attract suburban women that Trump lost in 2020. There is.

“She doesn’t have a structural electoral advantage, but she does have the advantage of potentially courting female voters in her ability to command a national presence,” said Bonjean, a former Republican aide. Ta.

Stefanik is also a fundraising titan and could help the Trump campaign rake in cash as the general election calendar approaches. The New York Republican’s campaign raised more than $5.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, her team announced, breaking the record she previously set for a conference chair.

Despite the buzz surrounding Stefanik’s desire to be a secondary, her team is keeping their cards close to their hearts, downplaying talk of “stakes” even as the preliminary season begins.

“Chairman Stefanik has not discussed his conversations with President Trump,” Alex DeGrasse, executive director of Republican Chairmen, told The Hill in a statement. “She will continue to do everything she can to help President Trump be reelected and help us make America great again.”

Brett Samuels contributed.