美国国家公共电台 NPR--Elise Stefanik's defense of Trump around Jan. 6 clouds her pro-democracy work abroad

Elise Stefanik's defense¹ of Trump² around Jan. 6 clouds her pro-democracy work abroad

Transcript³

In October 2021, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik stepped onstage at an event in Washington, D.C. – a celebration of human rights activists⁴ from Central America.

"I am honored to present you with the 2021 Democracy Award," Stefanik said, as the room applauded a group called Nicaragua Nunca Más.

The event was organized by the National Endowment for Democracy, a congressionally funded pro-democracy group where Stefanik serves on the board of directors.

In her speech, Stefanik talked about Nicaragua's "consolidation⁵ into dictatorship" and the importance of "promoting and strengthening democracy around the world."

But when it comes to domestic politics, the No. 3 House Republican strikes a different tone.

She voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In the weeks before the Endowment's award ceremony, her campaign published a controversial Facebook ad making an unfounded accusation⁶: that "Radical⁷ Democrats⁸" are colluding with immigrants to stage "a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION."

This month, she's been one of Donald Trump's most vocal⁹ defenders¹⁰ – and one of the House Jan. 6 committee's biggest critics. "We want to make sure that every American knows that this is not a serious investigation¹¹. This is a partisan¹² political witch hunt," Stefanik said in an interview with the conservative outlet¹³ Newsmax.

In her defense of Trump, Stefanik regularly spreads election conspiracy¹⁴ theories – some of the same ideas that motivated a violent mob to storm the U.S. Capitol. Her statements and actions have prompted some of the Endowment's staff to demand her removal from her leadership role. But when her position on the board expired in 2022, she was renewed for another term.

Years of pro-democracy work preceded a dramatic political pivot¹⁵

When she won her first term, at age 30, Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She was known as a principled hard worker – and somebody who worked with Democrats on all kinds of issues. By one index, she was ranked the 13th most bipartisan member of Congress.

Stefanik also spent much of her career working with organizations that defend democratic and civic¹⁶ institutions, including the Foreign Policy Initiative and Harvard's Institute of Politics.

The National Endowment for Democracy embodies¹⁷ all the values the United States traditionally stands for. Congress appropriates the money, and the Endowment writes grants to help activists and civil society groups in countries with autocratic leaders.

But after Stefanik was chosen for the board in early 2019, her politics changed. Now, some people who work at the Endowment say that she is undermining their mission and harming their work from the inside.

Stefanik has never said explicitly¹⁸ that the election was stolen or rigged – her rhetoric¹⁹ is more polished than Trump's – but she amplifies²⁰ much of the same mis- and disinformation as the former president.

"Tens of millions of Americans are rightly concerned that the 2020 election featured unprecedented²¹ voting irregularities, unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws, and a fundamental lack of ballot²² integrity and ballot security," Stefanik said on Jan. 4, 2021.

Election experts say 2020 was the most carefully watched election in American history. Both Republican and Democratic officials across the country oversaw²³ it and never found any evidence of widespread fraud or irregularities.

Stefanik condemned²⁴ the violence on Jan. 6. But after police had cleared the rioters from the Capitol grounds, she voted against certifying²⁵ President Biden's win in Pennsylvania.

Staff were angry about Stefanik's actions around Jan. 6

At the National Endowment for Democracy, a lot of people on staff were livid about Stefanik's Jan. 6 vote. One former staffer told NPR that the Endowment's values were "totally undermined and mocked" by its own board member.

More than 60 people signed an internal letter describing Stefanik's actions as "upsetting in the extreme."

"Nothing could be more incompatible²⁶ with the democratic values which are enshrined in the Endowment and its sacred mission," the letter read. "It is our desire to know how it could be possible that Representative Stefanik will remain part of the NED board of directors following her abuse of office in ways that contradict NED's core values in the starkest²⁷ terms, and what steps will be taken to resolve this contradiction."

The leadership has kept Stefanik on their board

The letter was the focus of some heated staff meetings.

The organization put out a statement about Jan. 6, saying that the Endowment is "appalled²⁸ by the violent and seditious assault" on the Capitol. But they decided²⁹ not to remove Stefanik.

The Endowment declined to do an interview for this story. But NPR spoke³⁰ with people who were part of the staff discussions at the Endowment after Jan. 6. They didn't want to give their names because they weren't authorized³¹ to speak to the media and feared they could lose their jobs or face career backlash for doing so.

The staff was told that the Endowment is bipartisan and that it cannot get dragged into domestic politics, the sources said. The organization's funding has come under threat in the past – most recently during the Trump administration – but it's had consistent backing from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and the leadership wants to keep it that way.

The leadership also argued that Stefanik is supportive of the Endowment's work abroad and is a critical ally in Congress, staffers said.

Then conversations about Stefanik died down. Her role on the board of directors did not change.

Some staffers told NPR they hoped the Endowment would quietly let Stefanik go, or put some distance between the organization and the congresswoman. Instead, Stefanik spoke at the 2021 award ceremony. And when her position on the board expired in January of this year, she was renewed for another term.

Meanwhile, Harvard's Institute of Politics did remove Stefanik from an advisory³² role after Jan. 6. Stefanik accused the university of "bowing to the woke, far-left mob."

NPR reached out to Stefanik for this story, but her office did not respond to our request.

However, a spokesperson did comment on a related story in Politico, which first reported on the internal turmoil³³ at the Endowment over Stefanik's role last year.

The spokesperson told Politico that Stefanik was "proud to have one of the strongest records in the House supporting and leading bipartisan efforts to fund the National Endowment of Democracy and the mission of supporting and strengthening democratic institutions around the world."

The current and former staffers interviewed for this story argued that the Endowment's decision not to remove Stefanik was hypocritical. "She participated in an attempt to overturn an election. It's hard to think of anything more fundamental to the issues we care about," one person said.

Another source said it's "embarrassing" that Stefanik is on the board because the Endowment "is supposed to be a leader in this fight for democracy."

"This was something that transcended³⁴ partisanship," a third person said.

A lot of the staffers were sympathetic to the leadership's point that the Endowment's funding has been at risk in the past and could easily be jeopardized³⁵ again if the organization is perceived as choosing sides in political battles.

"We have seen a vindictiveness³⁶ in some quarters of the Republican Party aimed at efforts to hold them accountable for what one might call counter-democratic actions," the third source said. "It's not something to be dismissed out of hand."

But they wanted more transparency on the decision to embrace Stefanik, they said, and wanted to know how the Endowment would react to attacks on American democracy in the future.

What best serves democracy?

For years, Larry Diamond was co-editor of the Endowment's Journal of Democracy. In a farewell piece earlier this year, Diamond wrote about the "deterioration³⁷ of democratic norms and institutions in the United States" and around the world. "This is the darkest moment for freedom in half a century," he wrote.

Still, he suggested that firing Stefanik would have been a careless move for the organization. "How does that serve democracy or the great work we're doing around the world to help democrats in desperate need, who need funding for their civil society organizations, funding for independent media, funding and training to resist authoritarian³⁸ rule?" Diamond told NPR.

He added that in this moment of intense polarization, it's crucial to have "protected spaces where partisan politics is not going to intrude³⁹. And I think it's important that the National Endowment for Democracy be one of those institutions."

But as Republican Party leaders embrace increasingly extreme views – like the false notion that the 2020 election was stolen – it may become more difficult for traditionally bipartisan groups to stay out of the fray⁴⁰.

"These are tough issues and I think we're all trying to figure out, is bipartisanship possible these days?" said Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at MIT.

"We could be longing⁴¹ for the day when the biggest worry we would have was with a Stefanik on the National Endowment of Democracy board," Stewart said.

Stefanik is one of 30 board members, and it appears the Endowment believes bipartisanship is still possible. They've indicated that they want to include politicians of all stripes as they make decisions and write grants – even someone who votes to overturn an election.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

6 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

10 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

13 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

14 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

15 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

16 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

17 embodies   

v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This document embodies the concern of the government for the deformity. 这个文件体现了政府对残疾人的关怀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

19 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

20 amplifies   

放大，扩大( amplify的第三人称单数 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• Gain is the number of times the amplifier amplifies a signal. 增益就是放大器放大信号的倍数。
• Such panicky behaviour amplifies the impact of the Russian export ban. 这样的恐慌行为放大了俄罗斯小麦出口禁令的影响效应。

21 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

22 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

23 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

24 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

25 certifying   

（尤指书面）证明( certify的现在分词 )； 发证书给…； 证明（某人）患有精神病； 颁发（或授予）专业合格证书

参考例句：

• Signed Commercial in quintuplicate, certifying merchandise to be of Chinese origin. 签署商业发票一式五份，证明产品的原产地为中国。
• Other documents certifying the truthfulness of the contents of the advertisements. （三）确认广告内容真实性的其他证明文件。

26 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

27 starkest   

（指区别）明显的( stark的最高级 )； 完全的； 了无修饰的； 僵硬的

参考例句：

• Among the starkest-and the most worrying-have been measures of world trade. 而最典型也是最让人担心的是世界贸易的方式。
• Climate change and the depleted ozone layer are among the starkest examples. 气候变化和臭氧层耗减就是其中最明显的例子。

28 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

30 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

31 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

32 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

33 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

34 transcended   

超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的过去式和过去分词 )； 优于或胜过…

参考例句：

• He wanted assurance that he had transcended what was inherently ambiguous. 他要证明，他已经超越了本来就是混淆不清的事情。
• It transcended site to speak to universal human concerns. 它超越了场所的局限，表达了人类共同的心声。

35 jeopardized   

危及，损害( jeopardize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The soldier jeopardized his life to save his comrade. 这个士兵冒生命的危险救他的同志。
• The occasional failed project or neglected opportunity does not jeopardized overall progress. 偶然失败的项目或失误的机会并没有影响总的进展。

36 vindictiveness   

恶毒；怀恨在心

参考例句：

• I was distressed to find so much vindictiveness in so charming a creature. 当我发现这样一个温柔可爱的女性报复心居然这么重时，我感到很丧气。 来自辞典例句
• Contradictory attriButes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness. 不公正的正义和报复的相矛盾的特点。 来自互联网

37 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

38 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

39 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

40 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

41 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。