Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik Withdraws Congressional Endorsement Over Trump Criticism

Written By BlabberBuzz | Friday, 05 January 2024 11:10 PM
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Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik Withdraws Congressional Endorsement Over Trump Criticism

In a surprising turn of events, Elise Stefanik, Chair of the House Republican Conference, has retracted her endorsement of former Ohio state Representative Craig Riedel, who is vying for the GOP primary for the seat currently held by Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur.

Stefanik's decision came in response to Riedel's alleged criticism of former President Donald Trump, as revealed in an audio leak by Turning Point USA in early December.

Stefanik, who had initially endorsed Riedel for the primary in July, expressed her disappointment in Riedel's remarks, emphasizing the need for Republicans to rally around Trump in anticipation of the November election, where Trump could potentially challenge President Joe Biden.

"I informed Craig Riedel (OH-09) earlier this week that I will be withdrawing my endorsement. I was very disappointed in his inappropriate comments regarding President Trump," Stefanik stated. "As we begin 2024, my focus is on ensuring we nominate the strongest candidates on the ballot who are committed to electing President Trump this November and expanding our House GOP Majority."

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In the leaked audio, Riedel expressed his desire to distance himself from Trump's support in the contested primary, suggesting a need for a different direction in 2024. "Donald Trump, he’s a different person than me. I don’t like the way he communicates. I think he is arrogant. I don’t like the way he calls people names. I just don’t think that’s very becoming of a president," Riedel was recorded saying.

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Following the public exposure of his criticism, Riedel swiftly endorsed Trump, attributing the leaked phone call to a stunt by Matt Gaetz and a social media trickster aimed at persuading Trump to intervene in his congressional primary.

Also in the running for the primary is the controversial J.R. Majewski, who has reportedly exaggerated his military background and allegedly referred to Trump as "an idiot." Majewski previously contested for the seat in 2022, losing to Kaptur by a margin of 56.6% to 43.4%.

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In light of the leaked audio, top House Republicans hastily recruited state Representative Derek Merrin into the contentious primary just before the filing deadline.

Kaptur, who has served in the lower chamber since 1983, has consistently defeated Republican challengers in each election cycle. The Cook Political Report has classified her seat as "Lean D" for 2024, along with 12 other contested House races.

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