Elise Stefanik, of all people: White House sacrifices Trump confidante for fear of power loss

The world was still right for Elise Stefanik on Wednesday. At the White House, the Republican congresswoman participated in a presidential ceremony where Donald Trump spoke about “patriotic American women” in general and his supposed political successes in particular. The audience in the East Room applauded enthusiastically every time the president mentioned a member of his party. »id-doc-1incfobu31″

is-new-line-child= »id-doc-1incgn1ki1″> »Article » 218 Republicans against 213 Democrats »p »

componenttype= »id-doc-1incnve7m0″ is-new-line-child= »Article »> The reason for this highly unusual decision: Republicans fear for their slim majority in the House of Representatives. Trump wrote on his internet service Truth Social that Stefanik was needed in the upper chamber of Congress to pass his agenda. “Given the very slim majority, I don’t want to take the risk of someone else running for Elise’s seat,” the president wrote. »subtitle »

These are new tones. Trump had previously given the impression that he didn't care that Republicans won only 220 of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives last November. The president appointed two Florida representatives to senior positions in his administration, fully aware that House Speaker Mike Johnson would not be pleased. (Because two Democratic representatives died in March, the Republicans currently have 218 representatives, five more than the opposition party.) Trump also made no concessions to his agenda or compromises with the Democratic minority. »Article»

But now it appears that a change of heart has taken place in the White House. This is mainly related to the political climate in the country. Democrats in Washington may be in crisis. However, at the polls, the main left-wing party remains the only alternative to the Republicans in many places, and Democratic voters are highly motivated. They want revenge on the president, who is currently rebuilding Washington state with a chainsaw. »Article»

This was demonstrated recently in a local by-election in the state of Pennsylvania. In a conservative district where Trump had won last November by more than 15 percentage points, a Democrat triumphed on Tuesday. The left-wing candidate won 50 percent of the vote, beating his Republican opponent by 500 votes. “A shock for the GOP from MAGA country,” headlined the opinion makers at the Wall Street Journal in a commentary on the election results. »Article»

is-new-line-child= »id-doc-1incis89q0″> »Article » Mike Waltz's seat wobbles »p »

Alarm bells are also ringing in Florida. On Tuesday, the successor to Mike Waltz, President Trump's national security adviser since January 20 and currently at the center of the confidential information fiasco, broadcast by Trump's entourage via the Signal app "true" will be chosen. Last November, when Waltz last ran for reelection in his Atlantic Coast district, he won with 66.5 percent of the vote. But current polls now predict a close race, in part because the Republican candidate has yet to convince as an activist.

Also on Tuesday, an election for a key judicial post will take place in the swing state of Wisconsin. In this election campaign, which also involves Trump advisor Elon Musk, the Democrats appear to hold the best cards. In contrast, the Republican candidate is considered the clear favorite in the by-election for the second vacant congressional seat in Florida. »https://www.nzz.ch/technologie/signal-gate-was-steckt-hinter-der-app-mit-der-trumps-team-militaerische-schlaege-plant-ld.1877507″

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componenttype= »id-doc-1incla3uj1″ is-new-line-child= »Article »> Memories of Trump's first term are already reawakening. In the spring of 2017, opposition Democrats performed surprisingly well in conservative constituencies in a series of special elections for the House of Representatives, providing a first taste of the midterm elections in the fall of 2018. »p »

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It's an irony that the ambitious Elise Stefanik, of all people, should pay the price for Trump's headwinds. The congresswoman literally reinvented herself during Trump's first term in order to curry favor with her party colleagues. After beginning her career as an adviser to President George W. Bush, the New York congresswoman transformed into a right-wing populist during the first impeachment proceedings against Trump (2019/2020). »true»

It paid off for Stefanik. The gifted communicator quickly made a career for herself within her congressional group. In 2021, Stefanik replaced Rep. Liz Cheney as the number four after Cheney became a Trump critic. »true»