Rep. Elise Stefanik says she would be 'honored' to serve in Trump administration

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

CONCORD, N.H. - Rep. Elise Stefanik, R- N.Y., told reporters Friday she’d be honored to serve in a future Trump administration.

Stefanik, a staunch Trump supporter, has been floated as a possible running mate for the former president. She’s criticized indictments filed against him and filed ethics complaints with judges who have overseen cases related to the former president.

She also endorsed Trump last year after the midterm elections, even though some Republicans criticized him for failing to produce a red wave.

“I’d be honored to serve in a future Trump administration in any way but I’m focused on making sure that we are supporting him, to making sure he’s in the strongest position to win this November,” she told reporters at a rally in New Hampshire.

Stefanik was elected in 2014. Prior, she attended Harvard University before joining the Bush White House as an aide.

In 2012, she advised then-vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, and prepped him for his debate against then-Vice President Joe Biden before deciding to run to join the former Speaker of the House in Congress.

Stefanik was named one of the members of Trump's Impeachment Defense Team of House members during the Senate. The team's unofficial role was to do media appearances and work on messaging behind the scenes to demean the House manager's case against the president to the public.

Stefanik on Friday criticized Biden’s policies and said he is the “weakest candidate” the country has ever seen.

“The reality is President Trump is going to win. He’s going to restore rule of law. And he’s going to restore respect for the Constitution in this nation.”

Trump dismisses Haley as vice president

Allies such as former White House aide Steve Bannon have warned Trump against picking former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as vice president, claiming she would try to force her differing views onto the Trump agenda.

On his radio show, Bannon has said: "If Nikki Haley is in this administration, in any capacity, it will fail. She's a viper. She'll try to be Dick Cheney. Her to Trump will be just like Cheney to Bush."

During the rally, Trump dismissed the idea that Haley would be vice president.

“She is okay, but she is not presidential timber," he said. “And when I say that, that probably means she is not going to be chosen as the vice president.”

“When you say certain things, it sort of takes them out of play, right?” he added. “I can’t say, ‘She’s not of the timber to be the vice president’ and then say, ‘Ladies and gentleman, I’m proud to announce that I’ve picked.'”

Haley has denied any interest in the vice presidency. Earlier in the day, she told voters at a diner in Amherst, N.H.: "I don’t want to be anybody’s vice-president, that’s off the table."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rep. Elise Stefanik pledges support for Trump administration