Trump withdraws Elise Stefanik's nomination to be UN ambassador

President Donald Trump has pulled the nomination of New York Rep Elise Stefanik to serve as the US ambassador to the United Nations.

Announcing his decision in a post on social media, Trump said it was essential that Stefanik retain her seat in the House of Representatives to protect Republicans' razor-thin majority.

"I don't want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise's seat," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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."

Calling her one of his biggest allies, the president said Stefanik would rejoin the House leadership team.

In preparation for the UN role, she had forfeited her position as the third most senior member, the House Republican Conference chairperson.

Speaker Mike Johnson praised her in statement. "There is no doubt she would have served with distinction as our ambassador to the United Nations, but we are grateful for her willingness to sacrifice that position and remain in Congress to help us save the country."

Stefanik, a onetime Trump critic turned MAGA darling, was the president's first cabinet pick. She was expected to sail through Senate confirmation, but the vote on her nomination was delayed because her support was needed in the House to pass Republican-backed legislation.

Her confirmation was supposed to move to a vote after a pair of special election races in Florida on 1 April. Former Rep Mike Waltz - the current national security advisor - is one of the congressmen to leave the two Republican-safe seats empty.

But discussions were held at the White House on Thursday about whether Stefanik should remain in Congress, given the president's agenda and the need to protect the narrow 218-213 Republican majority in the House.

Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the decision showed Republicans were in panic mode, and Trump feared losing a district he won by 21 points in November 2024.

"He withdrew her nomination to be U.N. Ambassador because the extremists are afraid they will lose the special election to replace her. The Republican agenda is extremely unpopular, they are crashing the economy in real time and House Republicans are running scared," Jeffries said.

Stefanik will continue to represent her solidly Republican upstate New York district, where she recently held a farewell tour in preparation for the UN role. She also attended a White House cabinet meeting last month.

During her confirmation hearing, Stefanik said she would make Trump's agenda her own, particularly his "peace through strength" approach to US foreign policy.

As a member of Congress, she has been one of the international body's toughest critics and a staunch defender of Israel.

She has previously called for the US to cut funding to the UN, describing it as a "cesspool of anti-Semitism" and a "corrupt, defunct and paralyzed institution".

The Trump administration has already ordered a review of US funding to the UN's regular budget and sweeping cuts to foreign aid that has dramatically impacted the work and staff of several UN agencies.

The organization is seriously examining what the effects of further cuts or delayed payments would mean. It is facing a cash crunch and has moved with urgency to reduce planned spending by up to 20% and to impose a hiring freeze.

The White House has not announced who the president might nominate to serve as ambassador to the UN next.

One diplomat told the BBC it would be good to have a US ambassador there soon so they can better engage with the Trump administration.

Stefanik's nomination is the fourth nominee who did not make it through a confirmation process.

Former congressman Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, withdrew after Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general. Chad Chronister withdrew from leading the Drug Enforcement Administration, and David Weldon withdrew from serving as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.