Photo: Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images
Over the past nine years, Elise Stefanik transformed herself from a Donald Trump critic into one of the president’s biggest cheerleaders. Her exemplary MAGA shilling was finally rewarded in November, when Trump announced that Stefanik would serve in his Cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik gave up her House leadership position, sailed through her confirmation hearing, and was expected to be confirmed any day now — then on Thursday, her nomination was pulled because Republicans just realized they may need her vote to maintain their House majority.
So no one could blame Elise Stefanik if she wanted to spend Thursday evening sulking. But instead, she had to go on Fox News and claim she’s not just okay with losing her dream job, she’s actually delighted to sacrifice herself for the MAGA cause.
“First of all, I was honored to have earned that nomination by President Trump, and I’m proud to be one of his top allies on Capitol Hill,” Stefanik told host Kayleigh McEnany on Hannity. “I have been proud to be a team player. The president knows that.”
So why was Stefanik’s nomination pulled at the last minute? The congresswoman made it clear that she did absolutely nothing wrong. “As you know, Kayleigh, I had my hearing the day after the inauguration, the hearing went incredibly smoothly, it passed by voice, and there’s been universal praise for the nomination,” Stefanik explained.
Of course, Stefanik doesn’t blame Trump’s decision to appoint several House members to his Cabinet despite the party’s fragile majority or concerns that Republicans could lose the upcoming special elections in Florida. Instead, she pointed a finger at “corrupt” New York governor Kathy Hochul’s threat to delay the special election to fill her seat and the “politicized radical left” more generally.
But Stefanik tried to end on a positive note: “The good news, Kayleigh, is because I am not pending confirmation, the American people will be hearing a lot more from me.” The congresswoman said she’s excited to have more time for Fox News hits and being one of the president’s “top fighters.”
“I consider him a friend,” Stefanik said. “I’m proud to be a leader in the House” — perhaps not literally, as her leadership position has already been filled, but “in terms of one of his top allies, and that will continue to be the case.”
McEnany closed by reinforcing Stefanik’s framing of her un-appointment as a heroic example of MAGA sacrifice. “Well, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, you’re being praised as a selfless warrior, and I look very much forward to seeing what the bight future holds for you,” she said.
Will Stefanik ever get a promotion for all this groveling? Maybe not. But being a Trump sycophant is reward in itself.
