Elise Stefanik 'scares me': Author of 'How Democracies Die' fears 'skilled' Republican

A man who coauthored an entire book about the death of democracies has declared himself frightened by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

In an interview with The Guardian, Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky argued that Stefanik appears willing and eager to help Trump evade laws and democratic norms to secure more personal power.

“She scares me in several ways,” he said. “Stefanik appears to be willing to go down Trump’s authoritarian path wholeheartedly.”

Specifically, Levitsky found himself unnerved by Stefanik's repeated peddling of Trump's lies about the 2020 election, as well as her decision to describe the violent rioters who were jailed for breaking into the Capitol as "hostages."

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“Accepting the results of elections is the cardinal rule of democracy,” he said. "She’s going down Trump’s path of election denialism.”

Levitsky added that Stefanik, unlike Trump, shows a sense of political cunning that could make her even more dangerous.

"She’s smart, politically savvy and skilled, unlike Trump,” he said. "The most dangerous autocrats like Orbán and Erdoğan are politically skilled. Stefanik has shown signs she has some of those skills."

Stefanik, who has shamelessly and publicly defended Trump, is widely seen as angling for a spot as his vice president on the 2024 Republican presidential ticket.