ICYMI: Congressman Goldman Joins Chris Hayes to Warn the American People of the Danger Elise Stefanik Poses to Democracy
Congressman Goldman: “We just cannot have members of Congress who are lining up, gearing up to subvert our democracy once again.”
Goldman: “It is clear that [Stefanik] is channeling Donald Trump in every way that she can, trying to audition to become the vice president.”
Goldman: “And given that she has no morals and no integrity because she completely flip-flopped in all of her policies and politics for sure, you can't trust her to do the right thing.”
Watch the Interview Here
Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes after introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), where he rang the alarm bells on the threat that Rep. Stefanik poses to American democracy. Congressman Goldman highlighted Congresswoman Stefanik’s refusal to commit to certifying the 2024 Presidential Election and her demonstrated willingness to flip-flop on every one of her political beliefs – all in an effort to court Donald Trump’s favor. Congressman Goldman reiterated the need to censure Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for providing aid, comfort, and support to the January 6th insurrectionists.
VIDEO of the interview is available here
A rush transcript of the interview is available below:
[Clip of Congressman Goldman’s floor speech plays]
Congressman Dan Goldman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to introduce a resolution to censure Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for providing aid, comfort and support to the rioters and insurrectionists who violently attacked this Capitol on January 6th, 2021, in an effort to undermine our democracy and illegally stop the peaceful transfer of power.
[Clip from Congressman Goldman’s floor speech ends]
Chris Hayes: A few hours ago, New York Democratic Congressman Daniel Goldman introduced a resolution to censure his fellow New Yorker, the fourth most powerful Republican, the House Elise Stefanik for comments like this one.
[Clip from Meet the Press plays]
Kristen Welker: Do you think that the people who stormed the Capitol should be held responsible to the full extent of the law?
Elise Stefanik: I have concerns about the treatment of January 6th hostages. I have concerns. We have a role in Congress of oversight over our treatments of prisoners.
[Clip from Meet the Press ends]
Hayes: Hostages. She called them hostages like the Israelis taken by Hamas. Hostages.
Congressman Goldman says that Stefanik’s support for convicted criminals who've been charged with offenses against the United States government is, quote, unacceptable for a member of Congress.
And Congressman Goldman joins me now. Congressman, was the hostages comment that tipped you over?
Goldman: It was sort of the breaking point. I think her rhetoric and support for the January 6th insurrectionists and for generally the conspiracy theories peddled by the criminal defendant, Donald Trump, have been ratcheting up.
And it's one thing for a rank-and-file member to be saying those things. It's altogether something different for the number four person in the leadership of the House to be attacking our democracy, giving support to those who attacked this Capitol where I stand right now.
And instead of doing the work of the House and passing a budget and providing aid to our allies around the world and addressing the issues such as the border and inflation and other things that the American people care about.
But this is 2024, Chris. It's an election year, and we just cannot have members of Congress who are lining up, gearing up to subvert our democracy once again.
And it just felt like we need to lay a marker down right now. I don't care what Donald Trump says, but sitting members of Congress have a separate oath to this body and to our Constitution.
Hayes: There's also an interesting context here. Reporting today from our own NBC and CNBC of that. There's discussions of Elise Stefanik as a possible running mate to Donald Trump. The thought of Stefanik's possible choice for Vice President, Trump nodded approvingly. She's a killer, he said, according to the person at the event. I suspect he doesn't mean that literally.
And then further, if you're Trump, he wants someone who's loyal above all else, a Republican campaign operative said, and this is important, particularly because he sees Mike Pence as having made a fatal sin. Of course, Mike Pence’s fatal sin was preserving the Republic in the face of the most concerted effort to destroy it since the Civil War.
Does it worry you that the way that your colleague, Elise Stefanik, appears to be auditioning for a role as vice president is to basically give aid and comfort to the very people who tried to overturn the Constitutional Republic?
Goldman: Well, not only that, Chris, she has refused to say that she will certify the election, as Mike Pence did.
And that is clear, and it's been clear since 2019 when Elise Stefanik flipped a switch to go from a you know, a relatively low key, low level rational Republican from upstate New York to Trump's biggest defender, in the impeachment hearings and beyond.
And it is clear that she is channeling Donald Trump in every way that she can, trying to audition to become the vice president. And given that she has no morals and no integrity because she completely flip-flopped in all of her policies and politics for sure, you can't trust her to do the right thing.
And that's exactly what Donald Trump wants. He wants a sycophant. He wants a yes person who will do whatever he says. And it is clear that Elise Stefanik, in the run up to the 2024 election, is trying to play that game.
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