President Donald Trump has announced that he is withdrawing his nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Trump nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations back in November, calling her “an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”
However, Stefanik’s nomination has been held up over the past few months because Republicans were concerned about the timing of her replacement, as the GOP has a very slim majority in the House of Representatives. Reports suggest that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) was planning to slow-walk the special election to replace Stefanik, meaning that she was hoping to keep the GOP majority extremely slim for as long as possible, further sabotaging Trump’s agenda.
The Republican majority in the House is just 218-213, as the GOP is still waiting for special elections scheduled for next week to replace Trump’s national security adviser, former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), and former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — who was originally nominated as Trump’s attorney general, but withdrew his nomination when it was clear that RINOs in the Senate would oppose him. There are two additional vacancies in the House from Democrats who recently passed away: Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-TX).
Trump announced his decision to withdraw Stefanik’s ambassador nomination in a post on Truth Social, highlighting the necessity of keeping her in the House in order to advance his agenda.
“As we advance our America First Agenda, it is 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,” Trump wrote. “I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat,” he added. “The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations. Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People. Speaker Johnson is thrilled! I look forward to the day when Elise is able to join my Administration in the future. She is absolutely FANTASTIC. Thank you Elise!”
BREAKING: President Trump has pulled his nomination of Elise Stefanik to become the UN Ambassador, asking her to remain in Congress to reinforce the GOP's slim House majority.
"We must maintain EVERY Republican seat in Congress." pic.twitter.com/vObFL9Ekzp
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 27, 2025
Stefanik was the only member of Trump’s Cabinet who had not yet been confirmed by the Senate, though she was still participating in Cabinet meetings.
