Stefanik pulls endorsement of House GOP recruit over Trump criticism

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik is abandoning a top party recruit in a swing Ohio district after he was caught on tape calling Donald Trump “arrogant.”

“I was very disappointed in his inappropriate comments regarding President Trump,” Stefanik wrote of Craig Riedel on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.

“As we begin 2024, my focus is on ensuring we nominate the strongest candidates on the ballot who are committed to electing President Trump this November and expanding our House GOP Majority,” the New York Republican added.

Riedel, a former state representative, was the party’s preferred pick to take on longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur until audio was leaked in December that showed Riedel calling Trump “arrogant” and vowing not to endorse him. Stefanik’s pulled endorsement, which she initially announced back in July, further signals that his path to the nomination will get tougher.

“I think he is arrogant. I don’t like the way he calls people names. I just don’t think that’s very becoming of a president,” Riedel said of Trump in the recording, the date of which is unclear. Riedel quickly endorsed Trump after the audio leaked.

That left scandal-tarred J.R. Majewski, who lost handedly to Kaptur in 2022, with a clearer shot to the nomination again — a problem for Republicans due to reports that he lied about serving in Afghanistan and allegations that he has called Trump “an idiot.” The party worked to get Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin to jump into the primary at the last minute.

Stefanik did not endorse either of the other candidates in her post on X.