New York’s 21st District Congresswoman and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik has been called to serve in President Trump’s Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and became the most senior woman in House Republican leadership. According to The New York Times, “Her foreign policy views track with Mr. Trump’s. A staunch supporter of Israel, she has repeatedly accused the U.N. of being plagued by “antisemitic rot” and proposed blocking funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.”
In her new role, Stefanik will represent the United States on the UN Security Council, and during meetings of the General Assembly.
“The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Stefanik said in a statement following her nomination. “I stand ready to advance President Donald Trump’s restoration of America First, peace-through-strength leadership on the world stage on day one at the United Nations.
“No matter where this journey takes us, upstate New York — the cradle of the American Revolution — will always be my heart and home.”
Her nomination has been met with approval from a majority of the Republican Party. New York Republican Committee Chair Ed Cox said, “as ambassador, Elise will bring her deep understanding of complex international issues, her commitment to a strong national defense, and her clear-eyed vision of American sovereignty and strength.”
New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar said in his statement, “Congresswoman Stefanik is smart, savvy, and fearless in the face of adversity. She will represent American interests at the world body with a tenacity unseen in years.”
In the hours and days after her nomination, several of Stefanik’s Republican colleagues in the House voiced their support, including Nick Langworthy, Anthony D’Esposito, Marc Molinaro, Mike Lawler and Nicole Malliotakis.
“Elise was a fantastic conference chair and she’ll be a great ambassador,” Malliotakis said. “Looking forward to working with her in her new role based here in New York City.”
President Trump touts her credentials in his statement, “Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter. She graduated from Harvard University, with honors, was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and is the highest ranking woman in Congress, as the House Republican Conference Chair. She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me, and has always been a staunch advocate.”
However, John Bolton, a former U.S. national security adviser under Trump and ambassador to the U.N. during the Bush administration, told The Associated Press, “She wants to run for president in 2028. She realizes she has no foreign policy experience so what better way than to become U.N. ambassador. She stays two years, and then away we go.”
Stefanik started publicly endorsing and supporting Trump when Democrats planned to impeach him in 2019, defending him staunchly in the committee hearings and continuing her backing in the following years. She backed his claims about the 2020 election being stolen and endorsed him in the 2024 election before he announced his intention to run for the White House.
Steve Peoples of the Associated Press wrote, “Stefanik’s evolution is the story of the modern Republican Party, which has come to believe that the path to power and fundraising success runs through Trump, whether party members like him or not.”
According to the BBC, “she argued there should be a “complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations” after the Palestinian Authority tried to expel Israel from the UN over human rights abuses in Gaza.” She seems to intend to make many changes to the UN budget that fall in line with Trumpian politics, the effects of which we shall soon see.
Stefanik is required to give up her House seat to ascend to the UN, so the Democrats and the Republicans will both be looking to take her North Country seat as they continue to fight for control of the House. Gov. Kathy Hochul will be required to call a special election in the 21st Congressional District once Stefanik officially resigns from Congress.
Elon Musk, billionaire Trump supporter, said on his social media platform X, “Elise is awesome, but it might be too dicey to lose her from the House, at least for now.”
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