Elise Stefanik pulls endorsement from Ohio Republican who was caught on tape calling Trump 'arrogant'

• Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik pulled her endorsement from an Ohio Republican who criticized Trump.
• Craig Riedel, who is running in a key district, was caught on tape calling Trump "arrogant."

Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 4 House Republican, has yanked her endorsement from an Ohio Republican whose caught on a leaked tape dissing former President Donald Trump.

Craig Riedel, a former Ohio state lawmaker, had once been a leading candidate to win the GOP's nomination to take on longtime incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a House Democrat who represents a seat that Trump won in 2020. Riedel's campaign was upended after a tape leaked of him criticizing Trump.

"I was very disappointed in his inappropriate comments regarding President Trump," Stefanik wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "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."

On the leaked tape, Riedel calls Trump "arrogant" and adds that he would not seek the former president's support in the race.

"Look, Donald Trump, he's a different person than me," Riedel said on the tape, which was posted on X by conservative media personality Charlie Kirk. "I don't like the way he communicates. I do think he is arrogant. I don't like the way he calls people names."

As Insider previously reported, Riedel's struggle has opened the door to JR Majewski, who lost to Kaptur by 13 points in 2022. Most national Republicans abandoned Majewski in the wake of an Associated Press report that he misrepresented his military service. His failure became part of a larger narrative of heavily pro-Trump hopefuls failing to get elected in what should have been winnable districts.

Stefanik is so close to Trump that she has been floated as a potential running mate. As a member of House GOP leadership, her decision could increase Riedel's current struggles. In the wake of the tape's release, Riedel endorsed Trump's 2024 bid, though it is becoming clear that may not have been enough to stop the bleeding.

Riedel's campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.