Who Is Elise Stefanik? Trump Says She Could Be 2028 President

US Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, has received former president Donald Trump's endorsement to replace congresswoman Liz Cheney as chair of the House Republican conference AFP / SAUL LOEB

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday named Rep. Elise Stefanik as a potential GOP presidential contender in 2028.

Speaking at a fundraising event at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, the former president praised “strong boss” Rep. Stefanik, R-NY, and said she could likely become the United States commander in chief in 2028.

“I want to congratulate Elise on her success. Man is she moving fast. That means at this rate she’ll be President in about 6 years,” Trump said of the 37-year-old, the New York Post noted.

“She’s always been a friend and people would say she’s upwardly mobile. She goes to Washington as a young beautiful woman who took over and all of a sudden she becomes a rocket ship, she’s the boss. She’s been a great boss, a strong boss.”

The fundraising event, hosted by Trump for the New York Republican, was attended by around 200 people that paid $1,000/ head. Trump and Stefanik later held a roundtable with 30 high rollers who purchased tickets at $25,000 each. Overall, the fundraiser event raised $3.2 million.

Stefanik, who represents New York’s 21st District in the House of Representatives, is the youngest member of the Republican leadership team in the House. She is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and Labor, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The Center for Effective Lawmaking also ranked Stefanik as one of the most effective GOP members and the top most effective for commerce policy impacting small businesses, according to her website.

Since being elected in the Republican party, Stefanik has marked herself as a GOP loyalist and a Trump ally. She has also sponsored legislation aiming to strengthen border security.

Stefanik will be eligible to run for the presidency in 2024. However, Trump remains to be the top Republican presidential nominee, with most polls showing he has the support of more than half of GOP voters.

It is still unclear whether Trump plans to make a 2024 presidential bid. He has repeatedly teased a run since leaving the White House in 2021 but has stopped short of making an official announcement.