Trump taps New York Rep. Elise Stefanik for U.N. ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump selected Rep. Elise Stefanik to be his ambassador to the United Nations on Sunday, and she accepted the nomination.

“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,” Mr. Trump said.

Ms. Stefanik was first elected to Congress in 2014 at the age of 30, making her the youngest woman to join the House at the time. She’s represented New York’s 21st congressional district for roughly a decade.

The New York Republican has been an ally to the former president during the numerous probes against him, and she’s served as the fourth-ranking Republican lawmaker in the House.

She served on his defense team during his first impeachment over his alleged quid pro quo over aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into President Joe Biden and his family’s ties to Ukraine. Mr. Biden’s son Hunter served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, making millions while his father was vice president and handled dealings with Ukraine for the Obama administration. 

She also pushed back against the 2020 election results, supporting Mr. Trump’s claims of election fraud.

“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Ms. Stefanik told The New York Post.

She said Mr. Trump’s win is giving people hope at home and also abroad since America “continues to be the beacon of the world.”

She echoed Mr. Trump’s push for allies to do more, saying “we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek.

“The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Ms. 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,“ she said.

Ms. Stefanik will come to the U.N. during a time of war between Russia and Ukraine as well as the Israel-Hamas conflict.

She will seek confirmation in the U.S. Senate, which won a Republican majority in last week’s election. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, will hold a special election to replace Ms. Stefanik in the already slim majority GOP House. 

Her district is pro-Trump. She had won reelection by 62%.

Ms. Stefanik’s nomination is the second major cabinet decision Mr. Trump has made as he is filling top roles in his incoming administration.

Last week, he selected Susan Wiles to serve as his chief of staff. She had served as Mr. Trump’s co-chair to his 2024 campaign. She also worked on his 2016 campaign.