Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent out a faux HELP WANTED ad for the GOP yesterday saying they were looking for a “Non-Threatening Female” to replace Rep. Liz Cheney as House Republican Conference Chair. Now it looks like the real search has led the GOP to Rep. Elise Stefanik. The Wall Street Journal writes that House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R/LA) formally endorsed the New York Republican today.
“House Republicans need to be solely focused on taking back the House in 2022” and fighting the Democrats’ agenda, said Lauren Fine, a spokeswoman for Mr. Scalise. “Elise Stefanik is strongly committed to doing that, which is why Whip Scalise has pledged to support her for Conference Chair,” she said.
The person who is clearly still pulling the strings in the GOP also weighed in. In a statement, Donald Trump said:
Liz Cheney is a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership. We want leaders who believe in the Make America Great Again movement, and prioritize the values of America First. Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL endorsement for GOP Conference Chair. Elise is a tough and smart communicator!
As News & Guts previously reported, during Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial back in 2020 conservative circles hailed the 36-year-old Trump loyalist a breakout star, but in her district, there were mixed feelings over her coziness with Trump. At the time Salon wrote, “Stefanik’s brand was built around a carefully cultivated image of moderation, and she’s now rebranded herself as a Trump loyalist and all-out obstructionist in the mold of (Rep. Jim) Jordan and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.”
Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin writes, “What kind of woman strives to provide male colleagues with cover to oust an independent, courageous woman? Elise Stefanik.”