Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky recently discussed his concerns about potential Donald Trump running mate Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
Levitsky, who co-wrote the 2018 book How Democracies Die, which warned about the impact Trumps presidency would have on American democracy, told The Guardian in a story published Tuesday that Stefanik scares me in several ways and appears to be willing to go down Trumps authoritarian path wholeheartedly.
Stefanik has promoted Trumps 2020 election conspiracy theories and refused to say whether she will accept the results of the 2024 vote, which may see Republican front-runner Trump taking on President Joe Biden for a second time.
Accepting the results of elections is the cardinal rule of democracy, Levitsky said. Shes going down Trumps path of election denialism.
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Shes smart, politically savvy and skilled, unlike Trump, he added. The most dangerous autocrats like [Hungarys] Orbn and [Turkeys] Erdoan are politically skilled. Stefanik has shown signs she has some of those skills.
Stefanik has said she would be honored to serve in any capacity in a second Trump administration. When Trump was asked in December if Stefanik could be a contender, he reportedly nodded and said, Shes a killer, according to NBC News .
Others reportedly in contention for the Trump vice presidential candidate role include: far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
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