SPONSORED: Howe’s Political Pivot: From Warning About Trump to Running on His Brand
Steven Howe’s relationship with Donald Trump has shifted considerably over the years. Howe once condemned Trump’s election claims, criticized his conduct surrounding January 6 and announced that he would not support him in 2024. Months later, Howe reversed course and voted for Trump. Now, a campaign mailer places Trump’s face prominently behind Howe and declares, “Steven Howe fights for you. Every vote. Every time.” The reverse side promotes “Steven Howe’s America First Record,” credits him with “defending life,” “fighting inflation” and “stopping the swamp,” and says Howe is “standing firmly” with Trump’s leadership. The mailer also asks voters to call and thank Howe for standing with the president, making Trump’s image and political brand a central part of Howe’s campaign for reelection despite Howe continuing to stand by many of his earlier criticisms.
Steven Howe’s Public Statements Regarding President Donald Trump
A Summary of the Public Record
Kansas House Representative Steven Howe has made numerous public statements regarding President Donald Trump. Those statements include published opinion columns, interviews, and public comments spanning from 2021 through the 2024 presidential election.
This summary is based on publicly available articles and Howe’s own published writings.
May 2021: Defense of Liz Cheney
In May 2021, following President Trump’s criticism of then-U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, Steven Howe publicly defended Cheney.
According to the Kansas Reflector, Howe criticized Trump’s personal attacks on Cheney after she rejected Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen. The publication reported that Howe condemned Trump’s rhetoric as “toxic” and “caustic.”
January 6, 2024: “Stand” Opinion Column
On January 6, 2024, Howe published an opinion column titled “Stand” in the Salina Post.
In that article, Howe:
Rejected President Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen or rigged.
Wrote that Trump had “stoked the crowd with a litany of deceit and lies” before the events of January 6, 2021.
Argued that Trump’s election claims undermined confidence in American elections and the peaceful transfer of power.
Wrote that Trump had demonstrated a pattern of alleging fraud when election outcomes were unfavorable to him.
Predicted that Trump would continue using false statements and attacks against political opponents.
Howe also wrote:
“I was lied to. You were lied to. America was lied to.”
He concluded that the available evidence did not support claims that the 2020 election had been stolen.
Comments Regarding Trump’s Character
In the same article, Howe questioned whether President Trump possessed the character expected of a Republican presidential nominee.
Howe compared Trump with Republican presidents Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan and encouraged Republicans to consider whether Trump reflected the values they expected from their party’s nominee.
Howe also warned Republicans about the dangers of:
Groupthink
Mob mentality
Political intimidation
Retaliation
A possible “cult of personality”
January 2024 Interview
Following publication of his opinion column, Howe participated in an interview discussing his position.
During that interview, Howe stated:
He had voted for Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
He would not vote for Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Republicans should know that at least one Republican state legislator would not support Trump.
He believed the peaceful transfer of power is one of the nation’s most important constitutional principles.
He expressed concern that Republicans who criticized Trump could face political retaliation.
October 2024: Howe Announces He Voted for Trump
On October 26, 2024, Howe published another opinion column explaining that he had changed his decision.
In that article Howe:
Acknowledged that his January column had been highly critical of Trump.
Reaffirmed that he believed Trump’s claims regarding the 2020 election were false.
Reaffirmed his criticism of Trump’s conduct surrounding January 6.
Announced that he had cast an advance ballot for Donald Trump.
Howe explained that although he continued to have personal reservations about Trump, he believed Trump possessed greater executive leadership experience than the alternative.
Howe also stated that his vote should not be interpreted as unconditional support and that he intended to continue speaking independently when he disagreed with Trump.
Summary of Howe’s Published Positions
Based on his published writings and interviews, Steven Howe publicly stated that:
Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen were false.
Trump spread “deceit and lies” regarding the election.
Trump undermined public confidence in American elections.
Trump contributed to the circumstances surrounding January 6, 2021.
Trump repeatedly alleged election fraud when election outcomes were unfavorable.
Trump did not demonstrate the leadership qualities Howe believed Republicans should expect.
Howe would not vote for Trump in the 2024 election.
Later in 2024, Howe changed his position and voted for Donald Trump while acknowledging that he continued to have personal reservations and while standing by many of his earlier criticisms.
Conclusion
The public record reflects two distinct positions held by Steven Howe.
From 2021 through early 2024, Howe was one of the few Republican elected officials in Kansas to publicly and repeatedly criticize Donald Trump, particularly regarding the 2020 election and the events of January 6.
Before the November 2024 election, Howe announced that he had changed his decision and voted for Trump, explaining that he believed Trump was the better choice to serve as President despite continuing personal reservations.
Primary Sources
Kansas Reflector, May 2021 – Coverage of Howe’s statement defending Liz Cheney.
Salina Post, January 6, 2024 – Steven Howe, “Stand.”
Salina Post, January 2024 – Follow-up interview discussing Howe’s position.
Salina Post, October 26, 2024 – Howe’s column announcing that he voted for Donald Trump.
Paid for by the Jay Vanier campaign, Sean Robertson, Treasurer.