To the Editor:

Elise Stefanik rose to national prominence with her full-throated defense of President Trump in his first impeachment, so one should hardly be surprised to hear that she has embraced the label “ultra-MAGA” at a recent press event. “I’m ultra-MAGA, and I’m proud of it” she was heard saying as she left the podium.

The embrace of that label leads to questions, however, and I think the voters of her district deserve answers. Let’s remember why Trump was impeached the first time. He used funds approved by Congress as leverage to pressure President Zelinsky of Ukraine to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden. Now that the world looks with awe and admiration at the leadership of President Zelinsky as he defends his nation against Putin’s aggression, one wonders if there is any regret for standing up for Trump? He abused the power of his office for political gain.He put the people of Ukraine’s security at risk in the hopes of damaging the reputation of Joe Biden. Is political power really worth that much?

What does it mean to be “ultra-MAGA”? Does it mean you support Trump’s false claims of election fraud? The evidence certainly suggests she does. She put her name on the absurd lawsuit where the Attorney General of Texas thought he could challenge the results in Pennsylvania. She voted to block the certification of Biden electors. As evidence mounts suggesting a coordinated campaign to keep Trump in office when it was clear that he lost the election, one has to ask if Stefanik was part of the planning of the attempted coup, or if she was just a stooge who used her vote to act against the will of the voters? Is political power worth more than your integrity?

When she was elected to her first term, Stefanik painted herself as a pragmatic moderate, willing to compromise and work across the aisle. By embracing the MAGA label, it is clear she is rejecting her former positions. Perhaps this is why she refuses to answer questions from news outlets in her district. Like me, those reporters remember who Stefanik was when she first ran for office, and what she has compromised to gain national attention and power within the Republican Party.

Dan Sullivan-Catlin
Potsdam