Trump selects Rep. Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador.

 

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik as his nominee for UN ambassador.

"I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is a resilient, tough, and intelligent America First advocate," Trump stated, confirming CNN's earlier report that Stefanik was offered the position.

The congresswoman from New York, who ranks fourth among House Republicans, has been a staunch supporter of the president-elect and an influential fundraiser for the GOP.

Stefanik's selection indicates a more confrontational U.S. stance toward the UN. She has often criticized the organization, especially for its stance on Israel, and last month suggested that the Biden administration should consider a “complete reassessment” of U.S. funding for the UN if the Palestinian Authority continues efforts to revoke Israel’s UN membership.

As the House Republican Conference chair, Stefanik has been one of Trump’s most steadfast supporters in Congress for years. Her assertive performance during the 2019 impeachment hearings earned her the title of “Republican star,” as Trump noted at the time. She also rallied behind Trump after his 2020 loss, objecting to the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the House and promoting Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud.

However, she wasn’t always one of Trump’s biggest advocates. The New York congresswoman, who became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress in 2014, voted against one of his key legislative achievements—the 2017 tax reform. Initially presenting herself as an “independent voice” with a moderate image, she received accolades from former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who described her as a “builder” in a Time magazine piece. She had previously worked for Ryan during Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign.

Stefanik transitioned from a Trump skeptic—who occasionally criticized him during his 2016 campaign and the early days of his presidency—to a defender, a shift she attributed partly to Trump’s popularity in her upstate New York district.

As Trump pursued the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Stefanik emerged as one of several potential running mates, actively vying for the position. Earlier this year, she expressed to CNN her pride in being a leading surrogate and stated that she would "proudly serve in a future Trump administration."

Stefanik succeeded then-Rep. Liz Cheney as GOP conference chair in May 2021 after Cheney publicly challenged Trump’s election falsehoods. She serves on the Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, among other panels. Last year, she garnered attention for her campaign to hold college leaders accountable for what she perceived as insufficient denunciation of antisemitism during a House hearing on the issue.

On Saturday, Trump announced via social media that he "will not be inviting" Nikki Haley back, who was the UN ambassador during his first administration. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, later ran a contentious primary campaign against Trump before ultimately dropping out and endorsing him months later.