Initially elected as a moderate conservative, Stefanik has moved considerably towards the right, as she aligned herself with President Donald Trump during his first term in office.

Stefanik was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in May 2021 after incumbent Liz Cheney was removed due to her opposition to President Trump.

Known for her pro-Israel beliefs, Stefanik gained national attention in December 2023 for her intense questioning of university presidents during a widely televised U.S. congressional hearing on antisemitism.

[23] In 2009, she founded the blog "American Maggie", a platform to promote the views of "conservative and Republican women", named after British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

[20] Stefanik helped prepare the Republican platform in 2012, served as director of new media for Tim Pawlenty's presidential exploratory committee and worked at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Foreign Policy Initiative.

[35] In 2017, former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton endorsed Stefanik for reelection, lauding her work on the House Armed Services Committee.

[48] In December 2018, Stefanik announced she would leave the NRCC to create a "leadership PAC" dedicated to recruiting Republican women to run for office.

[49][50][51] This group, named Elevate PAC (E-PAC), announced in an October 22 press conference that it had partially funded the primary campaigns of 11 Republican women from various states.

[61] During a May 6 appearance on a podcast hosted by Steve Bannon, Stefanik repeatedly emphasized the need for the Republican Party to work with Trump.

[68] During a 2023 hearing on antisemitism of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Stefanik asked the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania, who had been invited to speak, whether "calling for the genocide of Jewish people" constituted bullying or harassment on their campuses.

[69] Their responses, in which they did not say whether use of such slogans violated campus codes of conduct, drew criticism from a group of Representatives who signed an open letter calling for all three to resign.

[75] Faculty, students, and alumni of Harvard were divided in their opinions of then-president Claudine Gay, with some calling for her resignation and others expressing continued support.

[76][77][78] Following the congressional hearing, the House committee said it would launch an investigation into the learning environments and disciplinary policies at Harvard, Penn, and MIT over alleged antisemitism on their campuses.

During the hearing, she vowed to fight antisemitism, support Israel and Taiwan, counter Chinese influence, and use American contributions as leverage to drive reforms when necessary.

[66] Stefanik was initially elected as a moderate conservative, but has moved considerably towards the right, aligning herself with President Donald Trump during his first term in office.

[119] She opposed the 2013 sequestration cuts to the federal U.S. military budget, citing its effect on Fort Drum just north of Watertown, New York, part of her district.

[129] During the November 2019 hearings, in which Congress gathered evidence and heard witness testimony in relation to the impeachment inquiry, Stefanik emerged as a key defender of Trump.

[133] Stefanik accused Schiff of "making up the rules as he goes" and of preventing Republican committee members from controlling their time to question witnesses.

[161] In a July 2015 Washington Times profile, Jacqueline Klimas noted that Stefanik was the only freshman on that year's conference committee for the defense policy bill, a position accorded to her "because of her extensive experience in foreign policy—working in the George W. Bush administration, prepping Rep. Paul Ryan for his vice presidential debates, and listening to commanders at Fort Drum in her home district".

[164] Stefanik is considered to be hawkish towards China, calling the country "the key challenge of the 21st century"[165][166] She has proposed legislation to prohibit the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI from operating in the United States.

[165] In September 2024, she criticized the United Nations's "extreme antisemitism and moral depravity" and has called on President Joe Biden to "unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself against both brutal terrorists and biased international organizations".

[167] In October 2024, she called for a "complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations" after the Palestinian Authority attempted to expel Israel from the UN due to human rights abuses in Gaza.

[176][177] Her claims about the effects of the AHCA were strongly disputed by fact checkers at the Glens Falls Post-Star,[178] North Country Public Radio,[179] and the Albany Times Union.

[181] In November 2017, Stefanik voted for the Championing Healthy Kids Act, which would provide a five-year extension to the Children's Health Insurance Program.

[182] Stefanik opposed Trump's 2017 executive order imposing a temporary ban on travel and immigration to the United States by nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries.

[185] On March 26, 2019, Stefanik was one of 14 Republicans to vote with all House Democrats to override Trump's veto of a measure unwinding the latter's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border.

"[199] After the Federal Communications Commission decided to repeal Obama-era net neutrality in December 2017, Stefanik urged her congressional colleagues to pass legislation restoring the policy.

[200] In September 2018, Stefanik, Seth Moulton and Dan Donovan co-sponsored the Cyber Ready Workforce Act advanced by Jacky Rosen.

[211] During the 2022 election cycle, Stefanik was a strong early supporter of George Santos's campaign for U.S. representative from New York's 3rd district, on Long Island.

[225] As of 2022[update], Manda works as the manager of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for firearms manufacturers.