New York State Representative Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced on x (formerly Twitter) that she will meet with former President Trump at a campaign rally in New Hampshire this Friday night. Pu appeared together.
This is the first time Stefanik has attended a campaign event with Trump. After Trump won the Iowa primary, there were rumors that Stefanik had been considered a loyal ally by Trump and was interested in making her his running mate. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon said after the Iowa primary that Stefanik was "at the top of the list" of Trump's running mates.
When asked about the possibility of serving as Trump's deputy, Stefanik responded: "Of course, I would be honored to serve in any capacity in the Trump administration."
She has what Trump values most A qualified
US media reported that at a candlelight dinner with members of Mar-a-Lago in late December last year, Trump asked the guests who he should choose as his running mate. When someone mentioned Stefanik's name, Trump expressed approval and said, "She's a great character."
Multiple people familiar with the matter revealed that since then, Trump has begun discussing Stefanik as a possible running mate with an increasing number of allies. Those allies include Trump insiders, people in Stefanik's fundraising circle and officials from Trump's time in the White House.
After Trump announced that he "already has a favorite running mate," there was widespread speculation that he would choose a woman to make up for his "shortcomings."
Stefanik, 39, graduated from Harvard University. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, and in May 2021, she was elected as the chair of the House Republican Conference. She was seen as one of the "most loyal" Capitol Hill Republicans to Trump during his term. Previously, a few days before Trump officially announced his participation in the 2024 election, Stefanik announced his support for his candidacy for president.
Trump insiders say that Stefanik's loyalty is an important reason why Trump may choose her. The most obvious recent example is that she has repeatedly challenged judges and prosecutors against Trump.
US media reported that in recent months, Stefanik has tracked down the presiding judge in the New York state civil fraud case against Trump. She also called on Attorney General Garland to investigate "exposed" Trump's former campaign manager. Cohen (michael cohen). Stefanik also filed a complaint last month against the federal judge who prosecuted Trump.
Although the outside world has been speculating on the favorite candidate for Trump's deputy, insiders say that Trump is unlikely to announce it in the short term.
"When does the Republican National Convention start? That's when the choice is made," said a Trump insider. "This is Trump we're talking about. It's going to be like 'The Apprentice,' and it's going to end in The final episode is revealed."
Trump once again leads Biden in important polls
Trump leads Biden by 11 percentage points in support among independent voters, according to a new poll on Thursday. Independent voters are voters who register as "neither Democratic nor Republican" on the registry.
In this latest Messenger/Harris poll, when registered independent voters were asked who they would vote for if Biden or Trump were the only choices, Trump received 46% support , Biden received 35%, with 20% undecided.
This poll shows that Trump has gained more support from men, with 56% of men choosing Trump, while 38% of men chose Biden. However, Biden leads among women by 10 percentage points, with 46% of women choosing Biden and 36% choosing Trump.
If independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is included, the poll shows Trump's lead remains at about 3 points, at 40%, with Biden at 37% %, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 11% and two other independent candidates, Cornell West and Jill Stein, at single digits.
In this poll, a majority of voters said they do not want Trump or Biden to be president, even though both candidates are likely to be their party's nominees. 61% said they do not want Biden to run again, and 53% do not want Trump to run again.
