This has Democrats very concerned.
On Sunday, Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) refrained from unequivocally committing to certify the 2024 election results, stating that she would assess whether the upcoming election is “legal and valid.” During an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” when asked whether she would vote to certify the results regardless of the outcome, Stefanik responded, “We will see if this is a legal and valid election.”
The question arose following Stefanik’s earlier remarks explaining her objection to certifying Pennsylvania’s 2020 election results on January 6, 2021. Stefanik emphasized her commitment to election integrity and her opposition to the certification of Pennsylvania due to what she perceived as unconstitutional actions, particularly the State Supreme Court and secretary of state allegedly “unilaterally and unconstitutionally” rewriting election laws, such as eliminating signature-matching requirements.
Reiterating her claims, Stefanik asserted that her vote against certifying Pennsylvania was based on the observation of unconstitutional acts in various states, where election laws were allegedly changed without proper legislative approval. She was one of the 147 Republicans in Congress who supported objections to Pennsylvania and Arizona election results.
When pressed by NBC News moderator Kristen Welker about whether she would only certify the results if former President Trump wins, Stefanik clarified, “No, it means if they’re constitutional.” She argued that the events in 2020 involved unconstitutional actions that bypassed state legislatures in altering election laws.
Stefanik, a staunch supporter of Trump, also brought up two rulings from Colorado and Maine seeking to exclude Trump from their respective primary ballots. According to her, these rulings represent Democratic attempts to suppress the will of the American people, claiming that the Supreme Court’s upcoming consideration of Trump’s case should result in a unanimous decision allowing him to appear on the ballot.
The decisions in Colorado and Maine are rooted in interpretations of the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, asserting that Trump is ineligible for the presidency. Trump has appealed the Colorado Supreme Court decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the case next month. Meanwhile, the Maine decision is under appeal in state court, with the potential to reach the nation’s highest court, which currently has a conservative majority of 6-3. Numerous right-leaning lawmakers argue that these ballot decisions are part of a Democratic strategy to hinder Trump’s potential return to the White House in 2024.