August 6th, 2024
By Tyler McNeil
Upstate New York’s most powerful congressional Republican on Tuesday theorized the United States would cease to exist “as we know it” under the leadership of the Democratic presidential ticket.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Saratoga, issued blistering remarks over the stakes of the presidential race in November less than two hours after presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
“A Harris–Walz Administration would be the end of America as we know it,” said Stefanik in a statement. “We must elect President Donald J. Trump and Senator JD Vance to save America. The American First movement must redouble our efforts to ensure a Trump-Vance victory this November and DEFEAT the radical Harris–Walz ticket to Save America.”
When asked for clarification on ending America, Stefanik senior advisor Alex deGrasse in a statement said that the ticket would shred the “rule of law, the Constitution and our values.”
The high-ranking congressional Republican called Walz — who was eventually selected out of a final pool of Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Joshua Shapiro — a “failed Member of Congress and a failed Governor.”
Meanwhile, Democrats such as U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, have praised the choice.
“As a fellow Congressman and now as Governor of Minnesota, Tim has consistently demonstrated the kind of principled leadership, pragmatic problem-solving, and commitment to working families that our nation needs,” Tonko said in a statement.
Nebraska-born Walz served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019 before taking the reigns as governor of Minnesota.
Similar to Stefanik, Walz began his career cast as a moderate, even at one point carrying an A rating from the National Rifle Association. As a state leader, the 60-year-old has governed to the left on issues such as abortion, cannabis and firearms access.
In the second year of his first term, critics blasted the governor for activating the National Guard three days after Minneapolis was embroiled in racial unrest in the fallout of a George Flord’s death at the hands of city police. He also received criticism aplenty from conservatives over favoring vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stefanik, as she has described many of her foes, characterized Walz’s tenure in politics as a radical failure.
“Kamala Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as her running mate confirms that the Democrat Party will anoint the most radical Far Left wing ticket in history,” Stefanik said. “The Harris–Walz ticket is dangerous for hardworking American families as they will destroy our economy and compromise our national security.”
Stefanik was previously included among potential names to serve as GOP presidential nominee former president Donald Trump’s running mate. Ultimately, Trump critic-turned-supporter and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance was tapped for the position at the Republican National Convention in July.
Originally, the election was set to be Trump and President Joseph Biden. However, following weeks of intra-party calls to step down over a debate performance sparking concerns over the incumbent’s age, Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris.
Days after the switch-up, Stefanik pushed a resolution through the GOP-controlled House, with the help of six Democrats, which condemned Harris over her diplomatic campaign to address mass migration across the U.S.-Mexico border in the early 2020s. On the House floor, the MAGA stalwart advocated for a return to Trump’s “effective border security policies.”
While Stefanik has aligned herself with Trump, Tonko has aligned himself with Harris and the current administration. Earlier this week, the Democrat announced that he would host a series of events to celebrate Biden’s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
As Tonko faces a challenge from Guilderland GOP newcomer Kevin Waltz, the seasoned politician in a statement on Thursday said that he looks forward to campaigning for Walz and Harris.
