Trump: Stefanik could be president in six years

PALM BEACH, Fla. (WWNY) - Former President Donald Trump says North country congresswoman Elise Stefanik could be “President in about six years,” according to a report Wednesday in the New York Post.

Stefanik appeared with Trump Tuesday evening at a fund-raiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

“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,” the Post quotes Trump as saying.

“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,” the former president reportedly said.

Six years would be 2028. The presidency is up again in 2024, and Trump is widely expected to seek the nomination. Polls show him to be by far the leading choice among Republicans.

The Post reported Trump and Stefanik addressed about 200 people who paid $1,000 apiece to attend, and then held a question and answer session with 30 people who paid up to $25,000 a ticket.

Among those attending was John Henderickson, Adirondack Park landowner, the newspaper reported.

In all, Trump helped raise more than $3 million for Stefanik, his political action committee and other Republican candidates.

Stefanik’s Democratic opponents seized on the reports from the fundraiser.

“Elise Stefanik isn’t interested in leading. She’s interested in her own power and political career,” Matt Putorti, one of the Democrats running for the north country’s seat in congress, said in a statement Wednesday. “I’m running to put an end to this kind of partisan self-promotion.”

Matt Castelli, another Democrat seeking the seat, said “Time and time again, Elise Stefanik demonstrates that she cares more about her own personal gain than she does the people she was elected to represent.”

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