Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, is facing backlash after her defense of Donald Trump in former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against the former president.
In May 2023, a New York jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the changing room of a Manhattan department store during the mid-1990s, then defamed her after she went public with the allegation. The former president was ordered to pay $5 million in damages, including $2 million for the battery claim. Trump continued criticizing Carroll, leading her to file a second defamation lawsuit, this time seeking at least $10 million. The former president has maintained his innocence and has said he "never met, saw, or touched" Carroll.
On Friday night at a rally in Concord, New Hampshire, Stefanik was asked by NBC News correspondent Vaughn Hillyard how she grappled with standing by Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, while a jury is currently debating on how much to award Carroll in her second defamation case.
In response, the congresswoman repeatedly echoed Trump's claims that the lawsuit being heard by Judge Lewis Kaplan is a political "witch hunt."
"These are witch hunts against President Trump. And the reason why, is because he's pulling ahead of Joe Biden and Joe Biden is the weakest candidate we've ever seen," Stefanik said.
Newsweek reached out to Stefanik's office on Saturday morning via email for additional comments.
When asked Friday if she believed Carroll, Stefanik said, "No, of course not." Then, the New York lawmaker, repeatedly blamed the media for Trump's lengthy list of legal battles.
Trump faces a host of legal problems, including 91 criminal charges across four indictments—two on the state level and two on the federal level.
"The media is so out of touch with the American people. Like 2016, you are going to see the American people speak out loudly and clearly with their vote," the congresswoman said. "We're so tired of the biased media shilling for Joe Biden every single day. President Trump is going to win, restore the rule of law, and restore respect for the Constitution in this country."
Stefanik was trending on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday morning, with users taking the congresswoman to task for her statements.
X user Kathleen Dunn commented, "You must admit Stefanik acts more like a robot than a Harvard graduate. Here, she repeatedly answers the press using Trumpian buzz words and phrases, such as 'witch hunt' and 'biased media,' without regard to the content of the question. For instance, with the Carroll verdict, (which found Trump liable of sexual assault), Stefanik blames a biased media refusing to acknowledge that a trial occurred, the parties presented evidence, and the jury found Trump liable. An honest, thoughtful answer is just not part of her script as a rote response is easier and makes the Donald happy, at least for the moment."
Democratic strategist Lindy Li posted, "Special place in hell for women who empower rapists and work to return them to the White House."
There were also continued speculations that Stefanik's statements on Friday in Trump's defense were further reason to believe she is angling to be his pick for vice president during his 2024 presidential run.
"Just remember who told you first Stefanik was going to be Trump's running mate," MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski posted.
On Saturday morning, Trump supporters could be heard chanting "VP" as Stefanik finished a speech at his New Hampshire campaign headquarters.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Gabe Whisnant is Deputy Weekend Editor at Newsweek based in South Carolina. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2023, he directed ... Read more
