Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York sparred with Fox’s Shannon Bream Sunday over her support of presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Bream brought up a New York Times (NYT) article published Jan. 4, 2023, pressing Stefanik about her alleged August 2015 comments that Trump was “insulting to women.” The New York congresswoman said it was “a disgrace” that Bream evoked the NYT article, especially considering its use of anonymous sources.
“Well Shannon, it’s a disgrace that you would quote The New York Times with nameless, faceless false sources,” Stefanik said.
“But they’re quoting your friends so I’m giving you a chance to answer that,” Bream chimed in, speaking over the congresswoman.
“No, no, no, no Shannon, Shannon, they’re not quoting my friends. Those names are not included because they are false smears. I was attacked —” Stefanik continued before Bream interrupted again.
“There, to be fair, there are a number of names. Just to be fair, a number of names, names of people who are quoted in the article,” Bream said. “People can read it for themselves.”
The NYT article Bream referred to is locked behind a paywall, meaning only readers with a paid subscription to the outlet have access.
“No, no, Shannon, let me correct you,” Stefanik shot back. “Shannon, let me correct you. This is a false smear, and let me tell you, let me tell you a fact, Shannon. In 2016, I was attacked as the only elected Republican from the Northeast who voted for President Trump. Democrats spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking me for that fact. So to say that I didn’t support him is just false.”
Stefanik emphasized that she is “proud” to be one of Trump’s “strongest supporters,” adding that the former president will be reelected in the 2024 election.
“Okay so, I understand,” Bream said as Stefanik was still talking. “I understand… where you are now. Let me ask you. Okay, let me ask you though because they quote you on a radio station calling him ‘insulting to women.’ Is that a misquote? Did you not say that?”
“I said the statement that the Democrats leaked out in 2016 that that was insulting. However, Shannon, I stood by and supported him. And I strongly support him. And he has done so much to promote women in senior positions as well as promote women’s economic opportunity that we experienced under the four years of his administration. So I’ve been proud to support him. Uh, it’s a disgrace that you would take a New York Times article and just read negative quotes when the reality was, I was the only Republican elected woman from the Northeast who voted for him in 2016 who has strongly supported him and I’m proud to be one of his strongest allies today.”
Trump has yet to reveal his running mate, and Stefanik has been suspected to be a possible contender for the vice presidency. Other possible options on Trump’s shortlist include Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Bergum, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, according to NBC News.
Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation
