Rep. Stefanik Endorses Trump for President in 2024 (Newsmax/"Wake Up America")
By Solange Reyner | Friday, 11 November 2022 01:47 PM EST
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Thursday endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2024 following midterm shortfalls for the Republican Party.
"I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024," Stefanik said in a statement. "It is time for Republicans to unite around the most popular Republican in America who has a proven track record of conservative governance."
Trump has been teasing for months about another presidential bid and on Thursday said he will be holding a "special announcement" at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 15.
The former president appears largely unfazed despite the GOP's lackluster performance in Tuesday's midterm elections and pushback from his own party over the results.
"There is a fake news narrative that I was furious – it is just the opposite," Trump told Fox News Digital in response to reports that he was privately fuming about results for his endorsed candidates. "The people I endorsed did very well. I was batting 98.6% in the primaries, and 216 to 19 in the general election – that is amazing.
"All these guys that are winning are my people."
Trump has hinted for more than a year that he is intrigued by a third White House run, but some Republicans say he shouldn't attempt one.
"I strongly believe he should no longer be the face of the Republican Party," former Rep. Peter King, a Republican from Long Island and longtime supporter of Trump, told the Times, adding that the party "can't become a personality cult."
Kayleigh McEnany, a former Trump White House press secretary, on Wednesday said her former boss should put his announcement on pause, at least until after the runoff election for Senate in Georgia.
"If I'm advising any contender, no one announces 2024 until we get through Dec. 6," she said.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday said the losses were "huge" for Trump.
"Almost every one of these Trump-endorsed candidates that you see in competitive states has lost," Christie told ABC’s "Good Morning America."
"It's a huge loss for Trump. And, again, it shows that his political instincts are not about the party, they're not about the country – they’re about him."
Still, Republicans are within grasp of controlling one or both houses of Congress and Trump has support to move forward, including from Sen.-elect J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.
"Every year, the media writes Donald Trump's political obituary. And every year, we're quickly reminded that Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party," Vance said.
Banks said Trump "transformed our party."