Aug 10, 2018 — As the North Country and Rep. Elise Stefanik prepare to welcome President Donald Trump on Monday, NCPR looked back at the Republican congresswoman's relationship with Trump.

We found that Stefanik has a record of sharply disagreeing with Trump in public statements, but has voted with him 90 percent of the time, according to an analysis by the political publication FiveThirtyEight.

In conversations with journalists and constituents, Stefanik has criticized many of the president's core policy ideas, his accomplishments, and his personal behavior.

Here's how that relationship has played out over the last few years. in words and in votes:

THE TIMELINE

Spring 2016: The presidential primaries 

April 11: Rep. Stefanik won't say who she supports heading into the GOP presidential primary.

As Donald Trump's campaign was gaining steam, Spectrum News asked Stefanik to weigh in on the Republican primary field — and got little response.

"I'm focused 100 percent on doing my job representing this district," Stefanik said. "I believe that our next president needs to be a strong commander in chief. Also, specifically in New York State, they need to understand the importance of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division and the unique history my district has of military service."

May 5: Stefanik says she'll support the eventual GOP nominee.

In a statement to the Albany Times-Union, Rep. Stefanik signaled support for whichever candidate will become the party’s nominee — but did not mention then-candidate Trump by name. This would become standard practice for Rep. Stefanik throughout the presidential campaign. 

"Like my Democratic opponent, I will support my party's nominee in the fall,'' Stefanik said in her statement, referring to retired Army Colonel Mike Derrick, the Democrat who was then running against Stefanik for New York's 21st District House seat.

Summer 2016: Trump locks down the Republican nomination 

August 5: Stefanik criticizes Trump's attacks on a "gold star" military family.

In July 2016, Donald Trump accepted the Republican party nomination at the national convention in Cleveland. That same month, the parents of deceased Army officer Humayun Khan took the stage at the Democratic National Convention and shared an emotional speech, denouncing Trump and his comments about Muslims on the campaign trail.

Trump later told an interviewer that Khan's mother was silent during the DNC appearance because her Muslim faith forbids her to speak. 

In a statement published in the Glens Falls Post-Star, Stefanik criticized Trump for his attacks on the NATO military alliance and on the Khans, a "gold star" military family.  

“I think there is no excuse to be attacking gold star families,” Stefanik said. “Military families deserve our utmost respect.”

Fall 2016: The final days before the election

October 10: Stefanik reacts to the "Access Hollywood" tapes.

In early October, a recording emerged of Trump on the set of the NBC show "Access Hollywood" in 2005, talking about sexually assaulting women. Trump can also be heard discussing his pursuit of sexual contact with married women, in what he later described to the press as "locker room talk."

As CBS reported, Stefanik issued a statement condemning Trump's remarks.

“Donald Trump’s inappropriate, offensive comments are just wrong,” she said. “No matter when he said them or whatever the context. I hope his apology is sincere.”

(Stefanik would later tell the Post-Star editorial board, “I’ve opposed his rhetoric numerous times toward women.”)

October 12: Stefanik blasts Trump's core positions on national defense.

During a campaign stop in Plattsburgh, Stefanik distanced herself from Trump's claim that he would embrace the use of torture in interrogations and his insistence that he would target civilians in military operations.

Stefanik also questioned the claim that the U.S. should only defend NATO countries if they provide financial incentives — as well as Trump's argument that the U.S. should have taken ownership of Iraqi oil fields.

“His statements regarding NATO, his statements regarding Putin,” Stefanik told NCPR, “regarding some of the positions in regards to Iraq that he made, regarding the oil fields — I absolutely oppose those. But we also need to look at Hillary Clinton’s failed ethics record.”

October 17: Stefanik confirms her support for the Republican nominee — but won't name Trump.

After weeks of avoiding questions about her support for candidate Donald Trump, who had secured the Republican nomination, Stefanik was quoted by Albany's CBS 6 as saying she would support “my party’s nominee." Stefanik would not mention Trump by name, however.

2017: Trump begins his presidency

January 13, 2017: Stefanik votes yes on a resolution to repeal the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).

January 24: Stefanik votes to permanently ban the use of federal funds for abortion procedures or for health insurance plans that cover abortions.

January 29: Stefanik speaks out against Trump's ban on migrants from majority-Muslim countries.

In a Tweet quoted by WWNY-TV, Stefanik said she does not support President Trump’s ban on refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants from primarily Muslim countries.

“I oppose President Trump's rushed and overly broad Executive Order,” Stefanik said on Twitter.

February 1: Stefanik votes to repeal a federal stream protection rule for waterways near coal mining operations.

February 3: Stefanik votes against a repeal of waste prevention rules for oil and gas producers.

May 4: Stefanik votes yes on the American Healthcare Act, the Republican plan to replace Obamacare.

May 10: Stefanik criticizes the proposed border wall.

At a town hall forum in Plattsburgh, Stefanik repeatedly opposed one of President Trump’s signature campaign promises: the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border. The Post-Star quoted Stefanik's response to a question about the wall.

“I don’t think that’s realistic,” Stefanik said. “I don’t think the president’s plan is exactly right on that.”

(Stefanik later opposed Trump’s suggestion that he might fund the border wall using Department of Defense funding. At an editorial board meeting with the Watertown Daily Times in March 2018, Stefanik said it was "not gonna happen.")

June 8: Stefanik votes to repeal some banking reforms put in place after the 2008 financial crisis. 

June 29: Stefanik votes in favor of new penalties for "sanctuary cities" that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement.

July 17: Stefanik opposes a measure to delay new air quality standards for ozone. 

July 25: Stefanik votes in favor of sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea. 

October 3: Stefanik votes to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

October 17: Stefanik opposes deep budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In the fall of 2017, the White House released a draft budget that would have reduced the EPA's funding by 31 percent. In September, Stefanik voted in favor of a funding bill that gave the EPA roughly $1.9 billion more than what the White House had proposed.

Stefanik's spokesman, Tom Flanagin, told The Sun newspaper that “Congresswoman Stefanik disagreed with the president’s budget request and worked throughout the appropriations process to ensure the needs of our district were met."

December 19-20: Stefanik votes against two versions of the GOP's tax reform bill, including the final measure.

2018: The year so far

January 11, 2018: Stefanik votes to extend warrantless surveillance and opposes new restrictions on the broad-based collection of domestic communication records.

January 12, 2018: Stefanik is dismayed by "s***hole" comment.

A spokesman told City and State that Rep. Stefanik was dissatisfied to learn that President Trump allegedly described some countries as “s***holes" during a closed-door meeting about national security and immigration.

“Congresswoman Stefanik strongly believes the President's comments were wrong and contrary to our American ideals,” the spokesman said.

January 19: Stefanik supports a motion to table articles of impeachment against President Trump, effectively killing the impeachment measure.

February 12: Stefanik questions the White House's stance on a slew of issues — from domestic violence to Russian interference in U.S. elections.

In early February, White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned amid allegations of domestic violence and abuse. It was noted at the time that Porter did not have an FBI security clearance. Stefanik sat down with the Post-Star editorial board about a week after Porter's departure and said she was "deeply, deeply concerned with the security clearance issue" in Porter's case. 

“The staff secretary is one of the most important jobs; you handle every document that comes and goes from the Oval Office,” Stefanik told the Post-Star. “You handle every document sent out from the White House.”

In light of Porter's dismissal as staff secretary, Stefanik said it was "worth talking about the issues with domestic violence within the White House," adding that "there should be zero tolerance for domestic violence."

Stefanik also outlined a number of policy areas where she diverged from Trump's administration. "I disagree with his position on Russia,” she told the Post-Star. The newspaper asked Stefanik where she stood on independent counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the presidential election.

“I disagree on [Trump’s] attacks on law enforcement and the Department of Justice," Stefanik said.

“So there are areas where I disagree with the president, but if there are areas I agree with, then I am going to work with him.”

March 15: Stefanik breaks with the GOP and demands more investigation of Russian election interference.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Stefanik had a front seat to a months-long probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. When the investigation ended, Stefanik released a statement condemning the investigation — which was performed by a majority-Republican panel. 

“I have been concerned about the politicization and leaks throughout this Congressional investigation which is why I will continue to be an outspoken supporter of the Mueller investigation, which I believe is best equipped and our best hope to get to the apolitical truth,” Stefanik said in the press release.

March 21: Stefanik criticizes the Trump administration for its slow response to Russian cyberhacking.

As evidence of Moscow’s meddling in American politics and other Western democracies mounted, President Trump continued to make overtures to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump called Putin in mid-March to offer congratulations for on his re-election victory, despite experts’ claims that the race may have been rigged. Trump’s position on Russia was controversial, even with many conservatives.

In an interview with NCPR, Stefanik said the Trump administration wasn’t moving aggressively enough against Russia – and was taking too long to start using the $120 million allocated by Congress to counter the Kremlin’s cyber campaign against the U.S.

"I've been deeply concerned that the Trump administration hasn't spent the money that we appropriated," Stefanik said.

"I believe that Congress [and the White House], we're co-equal branches," she continued. "When I have disagreements, I voice them."

March 24: Stefanik invites Trump to visit Fort Drum.

Despite reservations about President Trump’s foreign policy and his posture toward NATO, Stefanik issued the president a formal invitation to visit the Fort Drum Army base near Watertown.

“On behalf of the phenomenal men and women of the 10th Mountain Division,” Stefanik wrote in a letter, “I would like to formally invite you to visit Fort Drum to see your dedication to strengthening our nation’s defense in action.”

March 26: Stefanik opposes Trump’s intent to break NAFTA.

Stefanik traveled to Ottawa to meet with Canadian trade officials in late March. Afterward, the congresswoman told The Sun newspaper that she disagreed with President Trump's stance on the North American Free Trade Agreement – namely, that it was a poor deal and needed to be renegotiated from top to bottom.

“Hopefully we don’t get to that point and can focus on modernizing the trade agreement between those three countries,” Stefanik said, “and how we can strengthen (NAFTA) and not throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

April 26: Trump blasts Canada on dairy policy – with Stefanik’s support.

On April 20, President Trump unexpectedly delivered a critique of Canada's dairy pricing and tariff systems during a media event at the Oval Office. Trump said the trade measures — which include tariffs of up to 300 percent on some American milk products — were protectionist and "a disgrace."

About a week later, Rep. Stefanik put out a press release backing the president. “President Trump’s statement last week was right,” Stefanik said. “Canada’s actions are harmful to New York dairy farmers."

May 18: Stefanik joins an upstate Democrat against new tariffs on newsprint imports.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Rep. Stefanik and Rep. Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) asked the administration to back away from new tariffs on rolls of newsprint manufactured in Canada.

Such a tax would “destabilize the industry and accelerate the decline of print news media," Stefanik and Higgins wrote. "Local journalism is the core of communities’ access to information about their local government, economy, and community activities."

May 31: Stefanik comes out against the Trump Administration’s tariff-centric trade strategy.

In a press release, Stefanik said she does not support President Trump’s plan to use tariffs as leverage in negotiations with trading partners. She cited Canada as a particular concern.

“I strongly oppose these tariffs on our nation’s closest economic partner, Canada,” Stefanik said.

“If President Trump wants to target Chinese steel dumping, he should target tariffs at China and not at our friends to the North. The shared production of goods by the U.S. and Canada actually makes our goods more competitive in global markets against China and others."

June 5: Stefanik disagrees with President Trump’s claim that he can pardon himself.

After President Trump suggested that he can pardon himself if he’s eventually accused of criminal activity – a fundamental question of constitutional law – Stefanik’s spokesman, Tom Flanagin, told The Sun newspaper that the congresswoman “disagrees with the president’s assertion.”

“Congresswoman Stefanik continues to be an outspoken supporter of the Mueller investigation and believes it would be a serious mistake for the president to fire Mueller,” Flanagin said. “It is important to let the Mueller investigation proceed so we can get to the apolitical truth of Russian meddling in our 2016 election.”

June 13: Stefanik tries to defuse harsh White House rhetoric on U.S.-Canadian trade.

After Trump and his top aides blasted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada on Twitter — with one top White House official saying there is a “special place in hell” for the Canadian leader — Stefanik voiced concern.

“I am hopeful that we can move beyond this, and there was a member of the administration that apologized…in terms of the characterization that he made of Prime Minister Trudeau,” Stefanik told NCPR. “But I have an independent record on this issue and I know that our trade with Canada is important to the hard-working families in the district that I represent.”

June 15: Stefanik calls for an end to family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Five days before President Trump signed an executive order to reverse his administration's policy of keeping minor children and immigrant parents in separate detention facilities, a spokesman said Rep. Stefanik said was working to “stop children from being separated from their parents.”

“She is currently involved in discussions with leadership to move the process forward on legislation to address DACA, border security and that would include a provision to stop children from being separated from their parents," spokesman Tom Flanagin told The Sun.

On June 19, Trump took to Twitter and urged Congress to replace "the ridiculous and obsolete laws on immigration" with new legislation. On June 20, Stefanik praised Trump for changing course on his policy.

“I am pleased that President Trump signed an Executive Order that takes important steps to stop family separations at our border,” she said in a statement. 

June 21: Stefanik votes against a GOP immigration bill that includes three-year renewable legal status for DACA recipients, new restrictions on legal migration, funding for a border wall and heavier law enforcement, and the elimination of time limits for detaining families at the border.

June 22: Stefanik expresses hope for immigration reform in Congress.

A day after Republicans failed to pass a comprehensive immigration bill, President Trump tweeted that “Congress should stop wasting its time on immigration” ahead of the November 2018 election.

But a Stefanik spokesman told The Sun that reforms are needed — in part to solve the dilemma of "Dreamers," who were brought to the U.S. without documentation as children and are seeking legal status under DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“Congresswoman Stefanik disagrees with the president and believes it is important that Congress act on this issue to fix our broken immigration system,” said Tom Flanagin, a spokesman for the lawmaker.

June 27: Stefanik votes in favor of a second GOP immigration bill that includes six-year legal status and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, new restrictions on legal migration and asylum, funding for a border wall, and the elimination of time limits for detaining families at the border.

July 9: Stefanik again condemns President Trump’s approach to trade disputes.

During a visit to Plattsburgh, Stefanik told NCPR that she’s worried about the administration’s trade strategy. "I am concerned about the punitive impact of tariffs because of this ongoing trade war," Stefanik said.

July 16: Stefanik restates support for Russia probe after a controversial summit.

President Trump traveled to Helsinki, Finland for a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders held a press conference afterward, at which Trump told reporters that he "held both countries [responsible]" for the strain in U.S.-Russia relations.

When asked whether he believed Russia was responsible for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Trump did not give a clear answer. "I have President Putin here. He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this. I don’t see any reason why it would be," Trump said.

(Trump would later try to clarify those remarks — arguing that he meant there's no reason "why it wouldn't be" Russia.)

The day of the press conference, Rep. Stefanik took to Twitter to counter Trump's statements.

“As I have said many times before, but worth repeating today. I believe Russia is an adversary and we must continue to work with our allies to counter Russia’s influence around the world,” Stefanik wrote. “I disagree with the President’s statement today.”

"Russia has a track record of meddling in elections — not only ours in 2016, but around the world," Stefanik continued. "I support the investigation (of Special Counsel Robert Mueller) in getting to the apolitical truth."

July 18: Stefanik votes yes on a resolution expressing broad support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, amidst calls to disband the agency.

July 19: Stefanik votes in favor of a resolution against carbon taxes.

July 27: Stefanik again blasts Trump’s tariff strategy.

Stefanik told WWNY-TV that the administration’s new tariffs are having a negative impact on agriculture and farmers.

"I think, unfortunately, we are experiencing the consequences of a trade war," Stefanik said. "I view tariffs as a form of taxation. I've been very opposed to the president's tariffs."