Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) put Donald Trump front and center in a speech addressing a gathering of religious conservatives as the former president narrows his list of possible running mates.
Stefanik, the No. 3 Republican in the House and one of Trump’s biggest congressional surrogates, was not the only Republican on Trump’s short list to attend the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. Dr. Ben Carson, the former housing secretary under Trump, also delivered remarks to attendees at the Washington Hilton on Friday.
However, Carson did not mention his former boss, instead choosing to relay anecdotes about his struggles with anger management in his youth and rail on the media and what he called Hollywood’s indoctrination of children.
In contrast, Stefanik opted to invoke Trump within mere moments of addressing the crowd.
“Let’s get this energy up. Are we ready to work hard in 136 days to fire Joe Biden?” Stefanik said to roaring applause. “Are we ready to reelect my good friend and your good friend, President Donald J. Trump?”
The New York Republican, one of eight Republicans to receive vetting materials from Trump’s camp earlier this month, went on to champion his handling of the southern border as president and denounce the level of crime in cities. She also attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who successfully prosecuted the former president in his hush money case.
“What the American people are seeing through is this: At the same time as this catastrophic crime crisis, we’re seeing the illegal weaponization of our courts and radical district attorneys like Alvin Bragg going after Joe Biden’s chief political component, that is, Donald J. Trump. It is a form of election interference,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik’s comments are sure to play well with Trump, who has long taken note of lawmakers who praise him in public.
Carson and Stefanik, along with the other top vice presidential contenders, are scheduled to attend a watch party for the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and Trump on June 27 in Atlanta.
Republican Kari Lake, a Trump surrogate who is running for Arizona’s open Senate seat, made perfunctory mentions of his election battle during her speech at the Road to Majority conference in a speech tailored to the religious crowd.
“I do want to bring Donald J. Trump back, by the way, but I want to bring him back … into our hearts and souls,” Lake said, referencing God.
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Trump is expected to announce his running mate at the Republican National Committee’s convention next month. Ahead of his announcement, conference attendees told the Washington Examiner they are supportive of the final candidates he is considering, among them Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND).
Catalina Stubbe, the national director of Hispanic outreach for Moms Demand Liberty, said she was glad a number of Trump’s running mates are from minority backgrounds. “For me, this expression of unity represent(s) something … that is very strong in our country, which is the vice president, is amazing,” Stubbe said.
“I think there is a lot of talent in the Republican Party, and I know that President Trump is going to make a very wise selection,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) added. “I am hopeful that it’ll be someone young and energetic and that could move and perhaps be the next president of the United States after a second Trump term.”