Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has won over former President Donald Trump, but has some work to do if she wants to get his base on her side.
Over the last several months, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the House Republican Conference chair, has criticized Trump over his role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and pushed back at his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. She's likely about to be ousted from her position, and Stefanik is considered the frontrunner to replace her. Trump on Wednesday endorsed Stefanik, but not long after, some of his biggest supporters publicly expressed their doubts about the congresswoman.
Former Fox Business host Lou Dobbs dubbed her a "RINO," and Big League Politics, a site founded by former Breitbart employees, called her out for only recently backing Trump, saying she is a "wolf in sheep's clothing," Politico reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During Trump's impeachments, Stefanik was one of his loudest defenders, but prior to that, she spoke out against his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and was against his policies of separating migrant children from their families at the border, Politico reports. The American Conservative Union has given Stefanik a lifetime grade of 44 percent, compared to Cheney's lifetime grade of 78 percent. A look at her votes shows Stefanik sided with Trump 78 percent of the time, with Cheney several points higher at 93 percent.
Put all of this together and you have "the identity of a swamp creature," conservative political consultant Ryan James Girdusky told Politico. Girdusky isn't "a fan of Liz Cheney," he added, and believes she "should have never been in House leadership. However, we are exchanging Liz Cheney, who at least votes correct, even though she bashes Trump publicly, [for] somebody who doesn't bash Trump publicly but votes with them almost none of the time." Read more at Politico.
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian stateSpeed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine
