Consultant Elise Stefanik's former mentor John Bridgeland stated he was "shattered" by her embrace of former President Donald Trump's "massive lie."

When Stefanik was first elected in 2014, she was extensively considered as among the many most reasonable Republicans in Congress, representing a then-competitive district in New York. However in recent times, many have identified her fast pivot proper.

As soon as a Trump critic, Stefanik has remodeled right into a staunch Trump defender. After he misplaced the 2020 election, she embraced his claims of widespread election fraud, voting towards certifying the electoral faculty vote in Pennsylvania, a swing state received by President Joe Biden.

Since then, she has solely additional supported these claims, ultimately changing Consultant Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who emerged as a number one Trump critic, because the chair of the Republican Convention.

Stefanik mentor "shattered" by "big lie" embrace
Consultant Elise Stefanik’s ex-mentor John Bridgeland stated this week he was “heartbroken” and “shattered” by her embrace of Donald Trump’s “massive lie." Above, Stefanik speaks at a city corridor occasion in Washington D.C. on March 1.Samuel Corum/Getty Pictures

Bridgeland, who served as Stefanik's mentor at Harvard's Kennedy Faculty of Authorities, stated in a Washington Put up interview this week that her assist of Trump's election fraud claims "shattered" him.

"I used to be shattered. I used to be actually heartbroken," he instructed the paper.

In an announcement to Newsweek, a Stefanik spokesperson wrote that she "barely knew" Bridgeland and has not spoken to him in additional than a decade.

"Rep. Stefanik by no means did a challenge on Peace Corps or AmeriCorps whereas at Harvard and he or she barely knew the creator. Bridgeland was by no means a reference for the Congresswoman for a White Home job," the assertion stated.

Following a racially-motivated taking pictures in Buffalo final week, Stefanik got here below scrutiny for adverts allegedly invoking the "Nice Substitute" idea—a racist conspiracy arguing white Individuals are being changed by individuals of shade—talked about in a manifesto of the suspected shooter.

Throughout her time on the institute, Stefanik was "extraordinarily vivid" and "public-service oriented," Bridgeland stated, including that he "thought the world of her." He instructed the Put up that he factors to her obvious ideological shift as a part of her "quest for energy" to rise in Republican ranks, a job that might be troublesome for a reasonable in an more and more conservative celebration.

Bridgeland instructed the paper he was "shocked she would go down such a darkish path."

"No energy, no place is definitely worth the full lack of your integrity," he stated. "It was simply utterly alarming to me to observe this transformation."

Stefanik has pushed again towards claims her adverts—which accused Democrats of attempting to create "a everlasting liberal majority" by permitting undocumented immigrants to vote—pushed the Nice Substitute Concept. She instructed CNN reporter Manu Raju final week that she has "by no means made a racist remark."

"I condemn racism," she stated. "The distinction of opinion on immigration is I assist a safe border, whereas Democrats have advisory boards. I do not assist permitting illegals to vote."

Harvard's Institute of Politics eliminated Stefanik from its senior committee final January over her vote towards the electoral faculty certification, prompting her to accuse them of cowering and caving "to the woke Left."

Replace 05/23/22 9:10 a.m. ET: This story was up to date with an announcement from Rep. Stefanik's workplace.