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Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Stefanik booed offstage as protesters chant 'traitor' during upstate New York memorial event
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., railed against "radical Far Left Democrat agitators" who disrupted an event in her home district in upstate New York on Monday. Stefanik, a Trump ally who has for months been teasing a Republican campaign for governor of New York, was booed offstage by protesters during an event in Plattsburgh honoring the late John Zurlo, a Clinton County political leader. "Today #NY21 witnessed shameful conduct by radical Far Left Democrat agitators who disgracefully attempted to drown out and silence a non-political event in Plattsburgh to honor the lifelong service of John Zurlo in Clinton County as the building was named in his honor," Stefanik said on X on Monday morning. When Stefanik approached the podium to deliver remarks, protesters booed the congresswoman, shouting, "Traitor!" until she stepped back into line alongside the other officials. Later on, Stefanik returned to the podium and delivered her remarks over the protesters' cries. Speaking to reporters after the event, Stefanik explained why she returned to the podium. "I thought that the Radicals would calm down out of respect for the Zurlo family," she said. "Obviously, they did not do that, but I was not going to let them drown out me by talking about how important it is to commemorate John Zurlo's legacy." Despite the protesters carrying on, Stefanik said it was important "to make sure the Zurlo family heard from me." The likely gubernatorial candidate later clarified in her statement on X that she also privately delivered her remarks to the family. House members have been campaigning and hosting events in their home districts during the August congressional recess. While Republicans are celebrating the tax cuts and immigration reform included in President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," Democrats have criticized vulnerable House Republicans for cutting Medicaid. Republicans have argued that the megabill only cuts waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, but according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), about 10 million more people will be uninsured by 2034 due to Trump's megabill. The impact of Trump's signature policy bill is likely to take center stage in the competitive midterm elections expected in 2026. The protesters' messages were mixed on Monday, as those who booed Stefanik offstage held signs rejecting Trump's sweeping second-term agenda on multiple grounds, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations as well as Stefanik voting in favor of the megabill. Other protest signs mentioned racism and called Stefanik a "bully." Stefanik has yet to formally launch her campaign for governor against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, but she has been laying the groundwork for months and leading criticism of the governor's anti-Trump politics.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elise Stefanik faces jeers at NY event
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who is expected to run for New York governor next year, was shouted down by protestors during an Upstate event on Monday, with videos of the encounter shared across social media. Stefanik, who is the House GOP leadership chair, was met with loud jeers as she took the mic in Plattsburgh, N.Y., in her congressional district, ultimately prompting her to ditch her prepared remarks to move onto another speaker. Stefanik's campaign noted to The Hill that she returned to make her remarks later in the program. The nonpartisan event was being held to honor former Clinton County Clerk John Zurlo, who died in December while in his eighth term at age 86. 'This crowd is not being respectful of John Zurlo, and he was deeply respected. I'm going to turn it back to you,' Stefanik said before stepping back from the lectern, as people continued to shout 'coward' and 'traitor' at her. Stefanik is among President Trump's most loyal allies in Congress. The president initially picked her to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, before pulling the nomination over concerns about losing a dependable vote in the House, where Republicans have a slim 219-211 majority, with four vacancies and an emboldened small flank of conservative dissidents. She joins a growing roster of Republicans who have faced tough crowds at events back in their districts since Trump's return to the White House in January and the approval of his massive tax and spending package, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in July. Stefanik admonished the unruly crowd on the social platform X on Monday. 'Today [the district] witnessed shameful conduct by radical Far Left Democrat agitators who disgracefully attempted to drown out and silence a non-political event in Plattsburgh to honor the lifelong service of John Zurlo in Clinton County as the building was named in his honor,' Stefanik wrote. 'I was proud to deliver my remarks and privately give them to one of John's sons along with the Congressional Record presented to the Zurlo family previously.' Updated: 11:55 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elise Stefanik Drowned Out by Furious Protesters: ‘Shame!'
MAGA Rep. Elise Stefanik struggled to speak over boos and jeers at an event in her home district Monday, becoming the latest GOP lawmaker to face a hostile reception from constituents. The New York congresswoman was met by protesters while appearing at a ceremony honoring a late Clinton County clerk in Plattsburgh, a small town near the Canadian border. Video shows jeers erupting from the crowd as Stefanik, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and a possible gubernatorial candidate, stepped up to the podium to give her remarks. Cries of 'You sold us out!', 'Shame!', and 'Unseal the Epstein files!', along with a steady stream of boos, made it difficult for Stefanik to be heard. She left the podium after speaking for less than a minute, and was booed again when she returned to speak for a second time. More than half of the crowd at the ceremony were protesters, according to the local NBC affiliate NBC 5, with many waving signs blasting Stefanik for supporting Trump's policies and for allegedly shunning meetings with constituents. Stefanik denounced the protesters for politicizing a ceremony meant to honor longtime clerk John Zurlo, who died at 86 last December. 'It is a disgusting disgrace that this is what the far left does, rather than understanding that his family has been through a tremendous amount. It was about honoring his legacy,' Stefanik told NBC5 after the event. She later doubled down in an X post, slamming 'radical Far Left Democrat agitators who disgracefully attempted to drown out and silence a non-political event.' But protester Mavis Agnew told the TV station that the ceremony was 'the first opportunity we had to let her know we're unhappy' in months. 'She won't hold a town hall, she won't take questions. She's never in her office,' Agnew said. Despite her best efforts to avoid constituent backlash, Stefanik joins a growing list of Republicans who have been confronted by voters frustrated with Trump and the GOP's agenda, including the Department of Government Efficiency's sweeping cuts and the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' The GOP's massive spending bill, which Stefanik voted for, balloons the deficit while slashing more than $1.1 trillion from Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act plans. The cuts could disrupt some health-care services in New York's rural North Country region, where Plattsburgh is located, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise has reported. 'I don't think this is about Democrats versus Republicans or anything,' Jesse Murnane, another protester, told NBC5. 'We're all here represented by Stefanik. And with the recent cuts that have just been passed, we're all going to be affected by rural hospitals. Hudson Headwaters potentially being affected, our only clinics available to patients. That's important to me.' Stefanik, who backed Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election, was nominated by the president earlier this year to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. However, Trump later withdrew the nomination, citing the GOP's razor-thin majority in the House. The 41-year-old congresswoman has been hinting at a possible 2026 run against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and recently announced that she would make a final decision later this year. The Daily Beast reached out to Stefanik's office for comment.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Elise Stefanik faces jeers at NY event
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who is expected to run for New York governor next year, was shouted down by protestors during an Upstate event on Monday, with videos of the encounter shared across social media. Stefanik, who is the House GOP Leadership chair, was met with loud jeers, as she took the mic in Plattsburgh, N.Y., in her congressional district, ultimately prompting her to ditch her prepared remarks to move onto another speaker. The nonpartisan event was being held to honor former Clinton County Clerk John Zurlo, who died in December 2024 while in his eighth term at age 86. 'This crowd is not being respectful of John Zurlo and he was deeply respected. I'm going to turn it back to you,' Stefanik said before stepping back from the lectern, as people continued to shout 'coward' and 'traitor' at her. Stefanik is among President Trump's most loyal allies in Congress. The president initially picked her to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, before pulling the nomination over concerns about losing a dependable vote in the House, where Republicans currently have an ultra-slim 219-211 majority, with four vacancies and an emboldened small flank of conservative dissidents. She joins a growing roster of Republicans who have faced tough crowds at events back in their districts since Trump's return to the White House in January and the approval of his massive tax and spending package, dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' in July. Stefanik's House office and campaign arm didn't immediately respond to The Hill's requests for comment. She admonished the unruly crowd on the social platform X on Monday, though. 'Today [the district] witnessed shameful conduct by radical Far Left Democrat agitators who disgracefully attempted to drown out and silence a non-political event in Plattsburgh to honor the lifelong service of John Zurlo in Clinton County as the building was named in his honor,' Stefanik wrote. 'I was proud to deliver my remarks and privately give them to one of John's sons along with the Congressional Record presented to the Zurlo family previously.'
