June 09, 2021 by Bernadette Hogan & Carl Campanile
Former President Donald Trump praised upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik as a superstar on track “to have an incredible career” as a Republican leader Wednesday night, during a fundraiser he hosted for her at his New Jersey golf course.
“Elise has been incredible and loyal to our movement. We have to make sure she’s able to win big and raise the money she needs to help lead our party to retake the House,” Trump told a room of around 50 donors at his National Golf Course Bedminster, according to a partial transcript obtained by The Post.
“I see she has the radical crazies after her, crazy Democrats, meaning she’s already doing an amazing job as our Conference Chair,” he gushed.
“I’m with Elise 100 percent, she’s going to have an incredible career, we have to back her 100 percent.”
Trump first met with Stefanik (R-NY) one-on-one at Bedminster around 4:30 p.m., followed by about an hour and a half-long roundtable with about 20 top donors. He then addressed supporters around 6:30 p.m. in a larger reception, taking photos and chatting with guests afterwards.
Sources in the room said Trump talked about a GOP strategy to retake the House in 2022 and criticized the last several months under President Joe Biden. He also touched on the recent bloodshed in Israel and conflict on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump also complimented Stefanik’s ability to connect with party members and praising her success last month, as shewas electedHouse Republican Conference chair, the third-highest in leadership. She replaced Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a frequent Trump critic.
Trumppublicly backedStefanik’s bid for the leadership post, calling her a “gifted communicator.”
“Thank you to my friend President Trump for hosting such an incredible event as we work as one Republican team to win next November. The stakes could not be higher as the American people see the destruction and dismantling of our country by the radical far left Socialists in the White House and Congress,” Stefanik said in a statement following the event.
“With President Trump’s support, it is 517 days until we fire Nancy Pelosi once and for all.”
Stefanik’s team told The Post over $250,000 has been raised for the Elise Victory Fund so far, and big donors such as Karen and Jay Kemmerer, the Wyoming-based owners of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, attended the event.
Stefanik recently announced sheis pregnantwith her first child.
Stefanik emerged as one of the earliest and fiercest critics of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo amid multiple scandals surrounding his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and sexual harassment accusations against him. She’scalled himthe “worst governor” in America.
She also was a big defender of Trump during the former president’s impeachment hearings.
Read the full story here: https://nypost.com/
