The Republican party's civil war (with Barbara Comstock)
Skullduggery
Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman, Victoria Bassetti
4.0 • 2K Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2021
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
With a vote taking place on Friday morning, the Republican party officially ousted Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and elected 36-year-old Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to be its new Conference chair. The dramatic leadership change reveals fault lines in a party where a significant — and evidently predominant — portion of its elected federal officials places fealty to Donald Trump above all else. Former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) joins Michael Isikoff, Daniel Klaidman and Victoria Bassetti on this episode to discuss this internecine struggle in the GOP, as well as to give her take on the ostracization of Cheney and coronation of Stefanik, based on her personal relationships with both women. She details her vision for a reformed, policy-driven post-Trump Republican party. But is that what Republican voters want?
GUEST:
- Barbara Comstock (@BarbaraComstock), former Congresswoman (R-VA)
HOSTS:
- Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News
- Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News
- Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)
RESOURCES:
- “Elise Stefanik speaks to the press after replacing Liz Cheney on House GOP leadership” (The Hill, May 14)
- “New Yahoo/YouGov poll: Cheney has few supporters in GOP” by Jon Ward (Yahoo News, May 14)
- “Influential Republicans detail call to reform party, threaten to form new one” by Tal Axelrod (The Hill, May 13)
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| 0:00.0 | Well, first I wanted to thank my colleagues for the opportunity to serve as the House |
| 0:04.5 | Republican Conference Chair. |
| 0:06.4 | I have prioritized listening to all members of our Republican Conference and my focus |
| 0:11.2 | is on unity because that's what the American people and that's what our voters deserve. |
| 0:16.3 | I also want to thank President Trump for his support. |
| 0:19.2 | He is a critical part of our Republican team. |
| 0:21.9 | I believe that voters determine the leader of the Republican Party and President Trump |
| 0:25.7 | is the leader that they look to. |
| 0:27.3 | I support President Trump, voter support President Trump. |
| 0:31.0 | He is an important voice in our Republican Party and we look forward to working with him. |
| 0:34.9 | That was New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanoch moments after being elected as the new chair |
| 0:39.1 | of the House Republican Conference and making it clear that her allegiance to former President |
| 0:44.8 | Donald Trump is solid and unwavering. |
| 0:48.0 | Her comments came at the end of a wrenching week for House Republicans in which they |
| 0:51.6 | deposed Liz Cheney as Conference Chair because she had stood up to Trump, condemned his |
| 0:56.7 | big lie about his stolen election and made it clear she will do everything she could to |
| 1:01.8 | keep him as far away from the Oval Office as possible. |
| 1:06.0 | Not Stefanoch. |
| 1:07.3 | Once a widely praised moderate with an independent streak, she has become a prime example of the |
| 1:12.1 | hold the former President still has over his party. |
| 1:15.6 | We'll talk to a former member of Congress, Barbara Comstock, who is once close to Stefanoch |
| 1:21.2 | and who now wants nothing to do with Trump and his allies on this episode of Skull Duggery. |
... |
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