‘Republican Star’ Elise Stefanik Says She Is ‘Proudly the Opposite of AOC’

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) questions former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, a
JOSHUA ROBERTS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who rose to the spotlight last week during the first public impeachment hearings before the House Intelligence Committee, is branding herself as someone who is “proudly the opposite of AOC.”

Stefanik, who made waves last week after battling Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) during last week’s contentious public impeachment hearings, has proudly branded herself as “the opposite” of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

“I am proudly the opposite of AOC,” Stefanik, 35, told the New York Post, adding that she spoke to the far-left congresswoman once.

“I’ve had one conversation with her when we were in the elevator,” Stefanik said. “I said, ‘Hi, I’m Elise … She had a staffer with her. I didn’t want to engage.”

Her outspoken critiques of the partisan impeachment inquiry and Schiff’s behavior has sparked criticisms from members of the left and media in recent days.

Notorious anti-Trumper George Conway called the congresswoman “lying trash” and shared a photoshopped image of her putting up a middle finger during one of the hearings:

“The one thing I’ve NEVER been called in my life is TRASH,” Stefanik said in response to Conway. “You need serious help. My opponent Taxin’ Tedra can have your sick mysogynist [sic] support.”

One of Stefanik’s most pivotal moments occurred when she confronted Schiff about his behavior in closed-door depositions, asking if he would stiff-arm questions regarding the so-called “whistleblower” during the public impeachment hearings as well.

“Mr. Chairman, will you be prohibiting witnesses from answering members’ questions as you have in the closed-door depositions?” she asked, to Schiff’s dismay.

SCHIFF: The only times I prevented witnesses from answering questions along with our counsel was when it was apparent that members were seeking to out the whistleblower. We will do everything necessary to protect the whistleblower’s identity, and I’m disturbed to hear members of the committee who have in the past voiced strong support for whistleblower protections seek to undermine those protections by outing the whistleblower.

STEFANIK: Mr. Chairman, only one member and their staff—

SCHIFF: (INAUDIBLE) The gentlewoman—

STEFANIK:—on this committee has direct knowledge of the identity of the whistleblower.

SCHIFF: The gentlewoman will suspend. You asked a parliamentary inquiry, and I am responding — or point of order, and I’m responding. We will not permit the outing of the whistleblower, and questions along those lines, counsel will inform their clients not to respond to. If necessary, I will intervene. Otherwise, I want members to feel free to ask any questions they like.

In another hearing, Stefanik used her time to read Schiff’s own words on the importance of the whistleblower testifying aloud:

“Adam Schiff was adamant about the whistleblower testifying, Speaker Pelosi said she supported the whistleblower testifying. They only changed that statement when it became clear there was coordination with the whistleblower and Adam Schiff staffers,” Stefanik told the Post.

“I was the first member to ask when did Adam Schiff have access to the whistleblower,” she said.

“It’s big deal because before this person was a whistleblower, they were coordinating with Democratic staff members who turned them into a whistleblower and advised them about the process,” she continued.

“The political rollout and communications rollout was just so orchestrated,” she added.

Stefanik’s bold handling of the partisan impeachment inquiry earned her the praise of President Trump, who called her “a new Republican Star”:

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