Donald Trump announced that Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), chair of the House Republican Conference, will be UN ambassador for his incoming administration. Stefanik has been a Trump ally during her time in the House, including defending the then-president during his impeachment trial in 2020. She was also notable for her role in the congressional investigation of antisemitism in American universities, questioning the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania over whether “calling for the genocide of Jewish people” violated their campus policies.
Stefanik will join the administration as one of its more hawkish members. She has endorsed a position of “maximum pressure on Iran” and favors the provision of more aid to Israel so that it can achieve “total victory.” In a statement to the New York Post, Stefanik said, “I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations.”
The selection of Stefanik leaves vacant a seat in the House, potentially thinning what will likely be a very small Republican majority in the chamber. The seat will be filled by special election, a process that often has very low voter turnout and can produce unpredictable results.
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