Stefanik under fire for Trump support

GLENS FALLS — Dozens of high-profile Republicans rescinded their support of Donald Trump over the weekend after an audio tape revealed the presidential candidate bragging about groping women using vulgar language. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Willsboro) was not among them. "Donald Trump's inappropriate, offensive comments are just wrong - No matter when he said them or whatever the context," Stefanik said on Friday. "I hope his apology is sincere." Stefanik's Democratic opponent Mike Derrick was quick to seize on her comments, branding Stefanik as a "party loyalist" and an "establishment sellout" for her continued support of the Republican nominee, which he called "downright reprehensible." "How in the world can she support a presidential candidate who has a shockingly consistent record of objectifying and belittling women, not to mention veterans and Gold Star families?" Derrick said. "If Congresswoman Stefanik was really an independent voice, why has she not broken from her party leaders in joining the droves of others rejecting Trump, and where is her voice when he makes comments like this?" In what has shaped up to one of the most explosive moments of the presidential campaign, the revelations of the comments by the Washington Post, caught by a hot mic during a 2005 taping of NBC's Access Hollywood, cast the Trump campaign into crisis. Derrick gleefully hammered Stefanik on social media all weekend, using the hashtag #EstablishmentElise as his campaign sent fundraising pitches to supporters. A Stefanik campaign spokesman did not respond for comment. Derrick, a retired army colonel, has made tying Trump to Stefanik a central part of his campaign, and has criticized the freshman lawmaker in the wake of numerous controversies throughout the election, including Trump's comments last week that returning combat veterans are "not strong" and "can't handle it." And a campaign commercial released last week further sought to cement that connection with voters, featuring an audio clip of Stefanik expressing support for the candidate juxtaposed with footage of Trump mocking a disabled reporter, among other controversial statements. UNEASY RELATIONSHIP Stefanik, first elected in 2014, has avoided discussing the real estate developer, and has generally remained silent on national politics during the tumultuous election cycle. The lawmaker also pointedly declined to attend the GOP National Convention, opting instead to tour the district. But the youngest woman ever elected to Congress offered her most full-throated support yet — if not an impersonal one — for Trump during last week's congressional debate in Albany. Stefanik offered a list of iron-plated party orthodoxy, including the need for tax reform, reducing regulations, replacing the Affordable Care Act, preserving gun rights and the future of the Supreme Court, as her rationale for supporting his campaign. "I don't support Trump's proposals to ban people from the country based upon their religious affiliation," Stefanik admitted. "That's an issue where I disagree." Stefanik also criticized Trump for his failure to release his tax returns. "I think it raises the issue of transparency and comprehensive tax reform," Stefanik said. GROWING TIDE Stefanik joins the raft of Republicans who have denounced his comments while stopping short of rescinding support for the controversial figure. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Friday he was "sickened" by Trump's comments and withdrew an invitation for a joint campaign appearance in Wisconsin over the weekend. A number of high-profile party leaders have withdrawn their support, including Sen. John McCain, the party's nominee in 2008, Sen. Mike Crapo and Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune said Trump should step aside in favor of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. And Stefanik's colleague Rep. John Katko, a Republican who represents the Syracuse area, called Trump's comments "offensive and disgusting." "His comments cannot be justified and crosses every line you can imagine," he told syracuse.com. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, too, waded into the debate on Saturday. "I think it was disgusting on a basic human level," Cuomo told NY1. "And I think the Republican politicians in this state have to condemn the activity, condemn the verbiage – silence is acceptance and no New Yorker should accept what was said here." Cuomo added: "Any Republican politician in this state who continues to stand with Trump is going to be unseated very soon in the political arena because no New Yorker will tolerate this." And on Sunday, the Essex County Democratic Committee urged their Republican counterparts to "repudiate and disavow" their support for Trump. SOCIAL MEDIA DELUGE A spirited discussion unfolded on Stefanik's Facebook page over the weekend. By Monday, her original statement had nearly 200 comments, reflecting the rhetoric pervading the nuclear-level national discourse which has only amplified after Sunday's combative presidential debate. Many applauded her position. "You had my vote before, you have my vote now and I applaud you for wording it perfect," wrote a man under the name Kirk Gilchrist." Thanks for your leadership and willingness. Most would have simply been quiet. In my mind, this is great leadership." Others said she had already said too much: "You just lost my vote Ms. Stefanik, and my support and your lawn sign just went in my garbage can," wrote Thomas C. Powlin. "Very disappointed and regretting I donated to your campaign." But the overwhelming majority appeared to blast the lawmaker for not taking a more firm stand: "Your continued support for Donald Trump is vile and a disgrace to women everywhere," said Nora Frateschi Miller. "You will no longer be under consideration for my vote. He needs to quit while he can." Stefanik, for her part, has avoided further comment since the controversy emerged late Friday. Derrick continued to play offense on Monday, releasing statements from a number of women across the district expressing their outrage. "As a young woman from the North Country and an elected official, I keep holding out hope that Elise Stefanik will make good on her promises to represent me in a way that I can be proud of," said Town of Plattsburgh Councilwoman Meg LeFevre. "Personal and professional success in the North Country, especially for women, is not possible without the support of other women and men who respect, inspire and uplift us every day. Stefanik cannot call herself a role model to our young girls while continuing to support Donald Trump." PARTISAN DIVIDE A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll released on Sunday revealed a sharp divide over the leaked tape. According to the poll, 74 percent of Republican voters said party officials should continue to support Trump. Just 13 percent think the party shouldn't back him. The same poll revealed Clinton leads Trump in the four-way race for the White House by four points, 42 percent to 38 percent, with eight percent supporting Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, three percent supporting Green Party candidate Jill Stein and nine percent undecided. It's unclear what the backlash would mean for the local races. The New York Times reported on Sunday GOP House leaders went dark for the weekend, largely leaving lawmakers to "fend for themselves" until a conference call on Monday offered further guidance. Trump scored decisive victories in New York during the Republican primary, winning all 12 counties in the congressional district with 52.7 percent of the vote. And Stefanik carved out a 19-point victory over challenger Aaron Woolf, a Democrat, in 2014. Just four weeks ahead of the congressional race, polling in the three-way race remains scant. But registrations in New York have surged before the Oct. 14 deadline. A record number of new voters have enrolled in the state Department of Motor Vehicles' automated online system last month, the governor's office announced last week. The website processed more than 140,600 applications, including more than 78,400 applications from first-time voters, an all-time high in both categories. That's in comparison to 9,200 voter registration applications, including nearly 3,400 from first-time voters, last year. And in September 2012, the website processed more than 13,700, including nearly 5,200 from first time voters.

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Stefanik under fire for Trump support

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