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By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh
Representative Elise Stefanik of New York has been appointed by President-elect Donald J. Trump to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations. “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement on Monday announcing his selection for the role. As reported by the NY Times, Stefanik has been one of Trump’s most unwavering political allies since his first campaign election— defending him even during his two impeachments and rallying for his comeback campaign.
On Monday, her loyalty paid off as she was selected as one of his first major personnel announcements, and his first selection that will require Senate confirmation. Trump said Stefanik would also be part of his cabinet. Per AP News, Stefanik would succeed U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former assistant secretary of state for Africa, who has held the position throughout the President Joe Biden’s term.
Stefanik, 40, has served as Chair of the House Republican Conference since 2021, and has been serving as the U.S. representative for New York’s 21st congressional district since 2015. A Harvard University BA graduate, she was among those mentioned as a potential vice presidential choice. As far as diplomatic or foreign policy experience, she has limited international experience, beyond having served as a member of House national security committees. Per the Times, still, her views have proved to be in line with Trump’s, as a strong supporter of Israel. She has repeatedly accused the United Nations of being tainted by “antisemitic rot” and has proposed blocking funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. She has also supported the U.S. taking a tougher stance against China. She initially supported Ukraine’s war effort, but then opposed the latest multibillion-dollar aid package, indicating opposition to fueling the war.
Nationally, she has engaged in viral face-offs with Ivy League presidents over rising anti-Semitism on campuses, and helped in the push to oust several of them from their leadership roles. Most memorably, she had asked several elite universities including her alma mater, “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules on bullying and harassment?” she asked. The fallout led Stefanik to be named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2024.
Stefanik has also aligned with President-elect Trump, embracing his claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him and decrying the ongoing “witch hunt” against Mr. Trump. She campaigned for Trump last month, speaking at his rally at Madison Square Garden, sounding a lot like him when she warned of “illegals swarming our streets,” and blaming Democrats for defunding the police.
Per the NY Times, Stefanik still needs to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate for the position as U.N. ambassador. If she is confirmed, her seat in the House representing NY’s rural upstate district including Glens Falls, Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Mountains would be up for grabs. A special election would need to be held next year and there is a chance that Republicans can lose the House seat. “Elise is awesome, but it might be too dicey to lose her from the House, at least for now,” one of Mr. Trump’s supporters, Elon Musk, wrote on his social media platform, X.
On Monday Democrats were already starting to assess their chances of winning over the seat. The district is one of NYS’s most conservative counties, and Stefanik won the reelection last week by 25 percentage points, beating Democratic opponent, Paula Collins. Collins has already indicated that she would be interesting in running again in the special election. Per the Times, potential Republicans candidates for the seat may include State Senator Daniel G. Stec; Assemblymen Robert Smullen and Chris Tague; and conservative activist Joe Pinion.
