Shocked New York Republicans said Rep. Elise Stefanik likely decided to end her gubernatorial campaign after President Trump hedged his endorsement \u2014 raising the prospect of her eventual defeat.<\/p>\n
It was the second major let-down for the upstate Republican and loyal Trump backer, and prompted her to end her bid for Albany just weeks after her Nov. 7 campaign launch, despite leading in the polls.<\/p>\n
The key moment came last week, when Trump publicly called Stefanik and primary challenger Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman \u2013 his longtime friend \u2013 \u201ctwo fantastic people\u201d in response to a question by The Post. <\/p>\n
Waxing poetic: President Trump pointed to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is battling Rep. Elise Stefanik in the GOP primary for governor, while telling the story of the Hanukkah miracle. Stefanik stunningly dropped out of the race Friday. AP<\/p>\n
He underlined his neutrality by hosting each of them separately at the White House in the days that followed \u2013 inviting Blakeman to a White House Hanukkah reception Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat has to be demoralizing when you kind of hitch your wagon to him and then he doesn\u2019t come out and emphatically endorse you,\u201d one New York Republican operative told The Post. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat has to be difficult, especially when you got your nomination to the UN pulled<\/a> and then all of a sudden you don\u2019t have 100 million percent backing.\u201d <\/p>\n Stefanik had been tapped to become the US ambassador to the United Nations, but Trump in March pulled the nomination after the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson concluded they needed Stefanik to remain in her seat to get Trump\u2019a agenda through the narrowly-divided House chamber.<\/p>\n Stefanik now says she won\u2019t seek re-election next year. Her current term ends in January 2027.<\/p>\n A second GOP operative who had backed Stefanik said the six-term lawmaker was \u201cnot happy with how the White House handled this\u201d and that her failing to get explicit support counted as a win for Blakeman.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery passing day there was increasing frustration. . . . I\u2019m sensing frustration both with being in Congress in DC politics in general, and if he\u2019s not going to clear the field then this hurts my chances at winning then why am I doing this? This is the second time I\u2019m being stabbed by the White House.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump gushed about Stefanik at the White House \u2014 but then hosted Blakeman four days later. REUTERS<\/p>\n The source added, \u201cThere is a genuine friendship between Bruce and Trump. I don\u2019t know if there was that true friendship between him and the congresswoman.\u201d<\/p>\n Stefanik herself pointed to the contested primary with Blakeman in comments to New York Magazine.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not the right sort of array of things lining up \u2014 which is so difficult in New York, which is just incredibly difficult in a picture-perfect year \u2014 let alone with a primary and everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n After Stefanik announced her decision, the president praised her in a social media post.<\/p>\n \u201cElise Stefanik, a fantastic person and Congresswoman from New York State, has just announced she won\u2019t be running for Governor. Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!\u201d<\/p>\n White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also posted on X that Stefanik \u201chas been an incredible advocate for the people of her district in Upstate New York, and she will always be a true friend to President Trump. <\/p>\n \u201cOn a personal note,\u201d Leavitt continued, \u201cElise is my former boss. She is a great leader, and an even better person. We love you,\u00a0@EliseStefanik<\/a>!\u201d<\/p>\n The White House, asked about comments linking the withdrawal to Trump, referred to their social media posts.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course they\u2019re great friends.\u00a0 They speak all the time,\u201d one source said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n When Blakeman told The Post in an interview before announcing his campaign that \u201cI know President Trump appreciates competition and I\u2019m sure that he feels that nobody should be coronated,\u201d it prompted brushback from the White House. <\/p>\n \u201cNobody should speak for President Trump, unless authorized by President Trump,\u201d White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, a former Stefanik aide, told The Post.<\/p>\n The latest sign that the race was splitting Trump\u2019s loyalties came as he compared Blakeman\u2019s uphill run to the Hanukkah miracle.<\/p>\n The comments came in a private White House Hanukkah reception packed with Jewish supporters, as Trump referenced the miracle of the lamp that kept burning inside the Second Temple while the Maccabees sheltered from their Greek-Syrian attackers more than 2,000 years ago.<\/p>\n Political cover: Trump\u2019s comments praising Blakeman came days after he gushed about Rep. Elise Stefanik. Dennis A. Clark<\/p>\n \u201cThey found a single flask containing just enough oil to light the menorah for a single night. To their great surprise, it lasted for eight days and ignited a new era of hope. You know about that story Bruce? It\u2019s very impressive.\u00a0 Well good luck \u2014 you are a good man,\u201d Trump said, pointing to Blakeman.<\/p>\n Blakeman was back at the White House Wednesday for an event with county executives, according to a source.<\/p>\n Days earlier Trump gushed about Stefanik<\/a> (R-NY) in an Oval Office photo-op<\/a> while hosting another amazing underdog: the 1980 US Olympic hockey team<\/a> that upset the mighty Soviets in the \u201cMiracle on Ice.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump at the time told Stefanik she was \u201cdoing phenomenally well\u201d and has \u201cgot a hell of a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n He shared some of his personal angst: \u201cI always hate it when two very good friends of mine are running,\u201d in response to a question about whether he urged Blakeman to stay out of the race.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope there\u2019s not a lot of damage done,\u201d the president fretted, while observing that sometimes \u201cthe victor ends up being much stronger\u201d after a primary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shocked New York Republicans said Rep. 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