There has been plenty of discussion about who former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee in 2024, might choose as his running mate, and one strong contender who is often mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate is Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who serves as chair of the House Republican Conference.
One influential Trump ally who is now calling for the former president to name Stefanik as his running mate is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), who recently sang the New York congresswoman's praises during a public event, according to the Washington Examiner.
That event was a celebration at the Richard Nixon Foundation of what would have been the late former Republican president's 111th birthday in which Gingrich, a member of the foundation's board of directors, delivered the keynote address.
During his speech about former President Nixon, former Speaker Gingrich made mention of Rep. Stefanik as deserving credit for the recent resignation of Harvard University President Dr. Claudine Gay over serious allegations of plagiarism that came to light under the intense scrutiny that she and other university presidents received after Stefanik grilled them about rampant antisemitism on their respective campuses.
Following his prepared remarks, Gingrich took a few questions from the audience, the first of which also mentioned Stefanik and her recent appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press," where she stood strong in a combative interview with host Kristen Welker.
The congresswoman had been pressed over her loyal support of former President Trump and was asked if she would consider an offer to be Trump's vice president, to which she replied that she, "of course, would be honored to serve in any capacity in a Trump administration. I'm proud to be the first member of Congress to endorse his reelection. I'm proud to be a strong supporter of President Trump, and he's going to win this November."
Stefanik went on to acknowledge that she speaks with Trump "frequently" but declined to disclose the "content" of those conversations and insisted that her primary focus was on helping Republicans win the White House and maintain majority control of the House.
In response to the question from the audience about Rep. Stefanik, former Speaker Gingrich said, "Look, I’m a very big fan of Elise’s. Certainly, if there is a short list for vice president, she should be on it."
"I think that what she did the other day was historic and genuinely changed history, and it took a lot of courage," he continued, "so I absolutely believe that she has sort of fought her way onto the national stage, and I hope that she will continue to grow and develop and certainly my advice to the president would certainly be to consider her on whatever short list he develops for potential vice presidential nominees."
Later in the event, after sharing some of the reasons why he has firmly supported former President Trump over the years amid the incessant attacks from Democrats and the political establishment, Gingrich further clarified why that support has continued.
"The only person I have seen who I think has the potential to disrupt the old order is Trump, and that's why, frankly, despite clear weaknesses, despite every effort of the left to smear and destroy him, I think he is, frankly, the best possible hope for us to try to turn the country around," he explained.
The Washington Examiner previously reported in August 2023 on its rankings of the top 10 most likely contenders to be picked by former President Trump as his vice presidential nominee, and Rep. Stefanik placed third on that list.
The outlet assessed that Stefanik, who had previously expressed how "honored" she would feel to serve alongside Trump, "also happens to be the highest-ranking GOP official in Congress to endorse the former president. She allegedly already talks to Trump weekly, but claims to have never discussed the vice president job. Clearly the two get along, and clearly Stefanik is willing. She is a strong possibility."
