Elise Stefanik: podcast appearances and interviews

Elise Marie Stefanik is an American politician who has been serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 21st congressional district since 2015. She initially was elected as a moderate Republican but aligned herself with Donald Trump during his first term as president. Stefanik strongly opposed the first impeachment of Trump in 2019 and objected to Pennsylvania's electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election. She served as chair of the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2025, succeeding Liz Cheney after her removal from the position. In 2023, Stefanik garnered national attention for her questioning of university presidents during a congressional hearing on antisemitism, which contributed to the resignation of the University of Pennsylvania's president. She was honored with the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Defender of Israel Award by the Zionist Organization of America. In 2025, she was nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations, a nomination he withdrew over concerns related to her departure from the House affecting the Republican majority. Later that year, Stefanik announced her candidacy for the 2026 New York gubernatorial election but ended her campaign in December and decided not to seek re-election to Congress.