New York Representative Elise Stefanik and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance are spearheading a legislative campaign to symbolically exonerate former President Donald Trump from any responsibility for the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Both lawmakers have been actively campaigning for Trump in New Hampshire and are scheduled to attend a forthcoming fundraiser for the former president in Washington, D.C.
Despite the absence of any evidence of fraud, both Stefanik and Vance have stated that they would not have certified the 2020 election results if they had been Trump’s vice president. Their shared stance seems to be driven by their expressed willingness to serve under Trump in any capacity, even as his running mate.
As Trump continues to dominate the Republican nomination, Stefanik and Vance, both 39, are at the forefront of the competition. In an attempt to make themselves more appealing candidates, they are reviving false claims about the 2020 election to reshape the narrative about January 6 and absolve Trump from any potential political and legal repercussions.
However, Trump is reportedly not yet ready to engage in serious discussions about selecting a running mate. Despite this, he has been fundraising off the idea of a vice presidential race and casually mentioning potential candidates in private conversations, sparking speculation within the GOP about who might be on his shortlist.
While numerous Republicans nationwide are considered potential vice presidential candidates, GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill are leveraging their influential platforms in Congress to distinguish themselves from the crowd. A key example of this was last week’s symbolic resolution introduced by GOP Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, declaring that Trump did not incite an insurrection or rebellion.
Stefanik and Vance, two of Trump’s most vocal supporters on Capitol Hill, quickly aligned themselves with the effort. Stefanik, the No. 4 House Republican as GOP conference chair, became a chief co-sponsor with Gaetz and personally lobbied members to support the resolution. Nearly one-third of the House GOP Conference is now backing the measure.
Stefanik has been one of the most assertive Republicans seemingly campaigning for the vice president position. She was the first Republican member of Congress to endorse Trump and has filed multiple judicial complaints against the prosecutors overseeing Trump’s legal cases. She has also embraced Trump’s reference to January 6 defendants who are in jail as “hostages” and deleted all her old press releases from before this session of Congress, including statements condemning the violence on January 6.
However, Stefanik denied she was trying to hide past critical statements during a recent interview on CNN’s “The Source” with Kaitlan Collins. She stated that all her previous statements are still accessible on various social media channels.
Stefanik’s most controversial statement during the interview was her assertion that she would not have certified the 2020 election results, which were legitimate but continue to be misrepresented by Trump and his allies. She criticized former Vice President Mike Pence for his actions that day.
Meanwhile, Vance stated on ABC’s “This Week” that he would not have certified the election results until states submitted pro-Trump electors. This indicates that the issue is increasingly becoming a new litmus test in the vice presidential race.
As the political maneuvering continues in Washington, there is no shortage of attempts to curry favor with Trump on his home turf. One GOP lawmaker described the people trying to get face time with the former president at his hotel in Mar-a-Lago as a “constant drumbeat.”