Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Sunday indicated that she would not rule out objecting to the 2024 presidential election results, saying that it will depend on whether this year’s election is “legal and valid.”
Three years ago, on Jan. 6, 2021, Ms. Stefanik joined the 146 members of Congress to vote against certifying electoral votes from at least one state where election integrity was called into question by supporters of President Donald Trump. Many of them had gathered for the president’s speech at the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House and, later that day, went on to a preapproved protest at the U.S. Capitol, leading to its breach and subsequent delay of the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
In an interview on Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” the congresswoman was asked if she would vote to certify the results of the 2024 election “no matter what they show.”
“We will see if this is a legal and valid election,” she told host Kristen Welker.
“What we’re seeing so far is that Democrats are so desperate, they’re trying to remove President Trump from the ballot,” Mr. Stefanik said, referring to court challenges alleging that President Trump is ineligible for a second term in the White House on the premise that the breach of the U.S. Capitol was an “insurrection,” and that President Trump participated in it.
These mostly Democrat-led challenges have been filed in more than two dozen states. In December, a divided Colorado Supreme Court declared President Trump ineligible for the nation’s highest office, making Colorado the first state ever to disqualify a presidential candidate under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bans anyone from holding federal office if they have taken an oath of office to defend the Constitution but then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion.”
“That is a suppression of the American people,” Mr. Stefanik continued. “The Supreme Court is taking that case up in February—that should be a 9–0 to allow President Trump to appear on the ballot because that’s the American people’s decision to make this November.”
Ms. Welker, noting that the she didn’t hear Ms. Stefanik commit to certifying the election results, pressed again by asking if the New York Republican will “only commit to certifying the results” if President Trump wins.
Stefanik Doesn’t Rule Out Vice-Presidential Chances
In her House floor speech on Jan. 6, 2021, Ms. Stefanik called the day “a truly tragic day for America,” expressing support for the constitutional right to protest while condemning the “dangerous violence and destruction” that occurred inside and outside of the Capitol building.In defense of her objection against electoral votes from Pennsylvania, Ms. Stefanik said the battleground state’s Supreme Court and secretary of state “unilaterally and unconstitutionally rewrote election law” by essentially allowing counties to accept mail-in ballots even if the voter’s signature on it didn’t match the one on the voter’s registration form.
“Tens of millions of Americans are concerned that the 2020 election featured unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws,” she told the House at that time. “We can and we should peacefully and respectfully discuss these concerns.”
During Sunday’s interview, the congresswoman said she still stands by the comments she made three years ago.
“I stood up for election integrity, and I challenged and objected to the certification of the state of Pennsylvania because of the unconstitutional overreach,” Ms. Stefanik told Ms. Welker. “I absolutely stand by my floor speech. I am proud to support President Trump.”
At another point in the interview, Ms. Stefanik was asked whether she would serve as President Trump’s vice president if asked. She didn’t rule out potentially being the running mate of the 45th president, who dominates the national polls and remains Republican voters’ favorite just one week before the critical Iowa caucus.
“I'd be honored to serve in any capacity in a Trump administration. I’m proud to be the first member of Congress to endorse his re-election,” she said. “I’m proud to be a strong supporter of President Trump, and he’s going to win this November.”
While Ms. Stefanik did not indicate whether she had discussed with President Trump about filling the VP spot, she said she talks to him “frequently” and that they have been “focused on winning.”
