CNN isn't friendly territory for conservatives these days, but Congresswoman-elect Nicole Malliotakis, who just defeated Democratic Rep. Max Rose in NY-11, said she's not afraid to bring her message anywhere, and that includes any network.
She was joined by fellow conservative South Carolina Rep.-elect Nancy Mace over the weekend to tell anchor Dana Bash how their party doubled the number of Republican women who will serve in Congress next term. They both told Bash they appreciated her having them on.
The Republican message of freedom, opportunity & preservation of the American Dream needs to be heard on all networks. Enjoyed the conversation with @NancyMace and @DanaBashCNN. https://t.co/5I1zbA2HFZ
— Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) November 29, 2020
"This is what I've always known about the GOP, that we are a big tent party," Malliotakis said. "That we do have people that come from different places from around the world. We do incorporate women. And now we're seeing women having a seat at the table."
There was nothing wrong with their messaging, the women explain. The issue was the recruiting, and they admitted that the Democrats have been better in that department for years.
But Mace said she "believes the Republican Party has finally come around." She added that in order to win future elections, the party needs to continue to share its "compassionate" message.
Malliotakis agreed that the GOP is catching up, and she credited recruiters like Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), whose efforts with the newly established E-PAC helped encourage women to run for office.
But, as Malliotakis explained, it didn't take much convincing.
"One of the reasons we were so motivated to run is seeing the Democratic women being elected in 2018 that don't necessarily reflect our values, particularly those who are self-described socialists," she said.
As a daughter of a refugee, Malliotakis wants to provide a counter view to the "socialist squad" in Washington.
"What we stand for are freedom and liberty," Malliotakis explained. "We love this nation. We want to see it prevail. We want to see it remain the land of opportunity."
No wonder there was a Pink Wave.