Trump says he'll nominate Stefanik as UN ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his choice to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, choosing one of his staunchest allies in the House to take on a top diplomatic post.

Trump confirmed the choice in a statement to The New York Post late Sunday.

“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said.

CNN first reported that Trump had offered Stefanik the role.

The congresswoman, who is likely to get confirmed by a majority GOP Senate, is expected to be a combative presence at the United Nations and an outspoken advocate for Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, which pushes allies to contribute more to shared defense efforts and takes a critical approach to major institutions like the U.N. itself.

Stefanik has limited foreign policy and diplomatic experience. She has served on the House Armed Services Committee and on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is an outspoken supporter of Israel and has previously decried the United Nations as “antisemitic.” Stefanik addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem in May to pledge continued U.S. support for Israel.

The choice of Stefanik could have repercussions for Trump’s efforts to get his agenda through the House. Republicans are expected to have an extremely narrow majority, and that margin will temporarily become slimmer if Stefanik vacates her seat to join the administration.

Stefanik, 40, had long been considered a GOP rising star, and she has broken through in recent years as she became an outspoken Trump ally. She fiercely defended Trump during his first impeachment in 2019, joined GOP leadership in 2021 and sharply questioned Ivy League presidents about campus antisemitism after the October, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

She has served as chair of the House Republican Conference since 2021 and has represented an upstate New York congressional district since 2015. She was 30 when she first won election, making her the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time. She previously worked in the George W. Bush White House.

The role of ambassador to the United Nations was held during Trump’s first term by Nikki Haley and later by Kelly Craft. Trump announced Saturday Haley would not have a role in his second administration.

The congresswoman had publicly spoken about her willingness to serve in the Trump administration, including immediately after Trump’s election victory last week.

“He needs strong allies. I’m honored to have my name in the mix, but I’m focused on serving the president however he sees fit, whether that’s passing the agenda in Congress or serving in his administration,” Stefanik said last week on a New York City radio show.

Updated at 7:26 a.m. EST