GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The fastest rising star in the Republican Party is local Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
Supporters love her while others donated $1 million to her opponent to stop her. Tuesday night, NEWS10 ABC’s John Gray sat down with the lawmaker one-on-one.
Stefanik was at the Salvation Army in Glens Falls on Tuesday to serve food, but it’s what she dished out at the impeachment hearings that catapulted her to the national spotlight and made her a target.
“I know that it spun up the left and the far left of Hollywood, but I think it’s because I cut to the heart of the case and focused on the facts and the truth,” she said. “If it takes criticism from Chelsea Handler and Rosie O’Donnell versus standing up for my district, I choose to stand up for my district every day of the week.”
John Gray: “So the criticism I’ve heard some people say that was a stunt you were pulling in order to get attention. You’re saying when the minority chair gave you this time this was something you could always do.”
Elise Stefanik: “Absolutely, that’s what you can do on the House floor. We yield time all the time, and what’s interesting is on the left, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris have questioned rules on the Senate, and they were held up as example of women leaders, and yet, when I question the partisan rules, I’ve been ridiculed from the left and Hollywood.”
Perhaps the strongest attack came from George Conway, husband to Pres. Donald Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, calling Stefanik “lying trash.”
JG: “I know in politics you have to have tough skin. I mean, you’re still a person. Do you take that personally when you see something like that out there?”
ES: “Well, I think it’s shameful, I think it’s denigrating, and my opponent should be ashamed that she’s raised millions of dollars off of ‘trashy Stefanik’ whereas I’m focusing on the policy issues in this district.”
JG: “I’ve heard from some democrats that, who I respect, who said to me privately, ‘I used to kind of like her, but now she’s throwing in totally with the president; she’s totally on Trump team.’ What do you say to those people who say they liked you before but now this new Elise, that they’re not liking? Do you hope you can pull them back?”
ES: “No, I’m Elise. I’m a same member of Congress that I’ve always been: very focused on my district and asking substantive questions at committee hearings.”
JG: “I’m guessing you don’t like every single tweet he’s ever put out in his life, correct?”
ES: “And that’s, there are tweets where I’ve said I don’t like that tweet or the tone of the tweet, but we’re not talking about tweets, John. We’re talking about impeachment.”
