Elise Stefanik was seen as among the least controversial Cabinet picks, and her nomination advanced out of committee in late January. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The White House has withdrawn Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a stunning turnaround for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Cabinet pick after her confirmation had been stalled over concerns about Republicans’ tight margins in the House.
Mr. Trump confirmed the decision in a Truth Social post on Thursday (March 27, 2025), saying that it was “essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.”
“We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning. I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress,” he said, without any mention of who he would nominate to replace her.
Ms. Stefanik’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Trump had tapped Ms. Stefanik, a New York Republican, to represent the U.S. at the international body shortly after winning reelection in November. She was seen as among the least controversial Cabinet picks, and her nomination advanced out of committee in late January, but House Republicans’ razor-thin majority kept her ultimate confirmation in a state of purgatory for the last several months.
In recent weeks, it had seemed as if Ms. Stefanik’s nomination would advance to the Senate floor, given two U.S. House special elections in Florida in districts that Mr. Trump easily won in 2024. Filling those vacant GOP seats would have allowed Ms. Stefanik to finally resign from the House and given Republicans, who currently hold 218 seats, a little more breathing room on passing legislation in a growingly divided Congress. Democrats hold 213 seats.
But Democrats’ upset in a Tuesday (March 25, 2025) special election for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities surely gave the GOP pause. Ms. Stefanik is the fourth Trump administration nominee who didn’t make it through the confirmation process. Previously, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general, Chad Chronister was pulled for the Drug Enforcement Administration and former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon was yanked from contention to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The former congresswoman had been in a state of limbo for months, not able to engage in her official duties as a member of the 119th Congress or to participate in the action at the U.N. The vacancy of a permanent U.S. ambassador was happening at a critical moment for the international body as the world leaders had been discussing the two major wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas.
In late February, the U.S. mission, under Mr. Trump, split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three U.N. resolutions seeking an end to the three-year war. Dorothy Shea, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has been the face of America’s mission in New York during the transition.
Published – March 28, 2025 12:15 am IST
