President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to serve as the US Ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik, a longtime Trump ally, is a staunch supporter of Israel and has criticized the United Nations for what she argues is a lack of sufficient support for the war against Hamas.
“Alice is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement confirming the first Cabinet selection of his second term.
If confirmed, Stefanik would succeed UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career diplomat who worked for the US Foreign Service for 35 years.
Stefanik said she was “very humbled” to accept Trump’s nomination and was looking forward to “earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate”, which would have to vote on her nomination to make it official.
“America remains the world’s beacon, but we expect and demand that our friends and allies also be strong partners in the peace we seek,” Stefanik said in a statement to the New York Post.
The New York Congresswoman has minimal experience in foreign policy and national security. He has served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, she has become one of the most vocal supporters of Israel in Congress, garnering national attention as she led congressional hearings about university presidents’ handling of protests on college campuses. Has led.
Last month, he argued that there should be a “complete reassessment of US funding of the UN” after the Palestinian Authority tried to expel Israel from the UN over human rights abuses in Gaza.
In a statement on Monday, Israel’s international spokesman to the United Nations, Jonathan Aaronoff, said the country’s ambassador, Danny Danon, “remains firmly committed to the truth, combating malicious lies at the United Nations by hostile countries.” Look forward to working together.” and justice”.
Before Trump’s announcement, Stefanik had become the highest-ranking woman in House Republican leadership.
Born and raised in New York, the congresswoman was the first member of her family to earn a college degree, graduating from Harvard University in 2006.
Shortly thereafter, she entered politics, serving as a White House domestic policy advisor under President George W. Bush and eventually becoming a senior aide to Bush’s Chief of Staff Joshua Bolton.
Stefanik later became a top campaign advisor to Paul Ryan when he ran for Vice President with Mitt Romney. When Romney lost, the 30-year-old Romney moved back to New York and ran for Congress, winning the Democratic-controlled seat by more than 20 points.
Stefanik once presented herself to voters as a traditional conservative, but emerged as one of Trump’s most ardent defenders during the first impeachment trial against him in 2019. His support for Trump has not diminished since then.
“I’m proud to be a top surrogate,” Stefanik said earlier this year about her support for the president-elect. “I will proudly serve in a future Trump administration.”
His appointment will leave the 21st Congressional District seat in New York vacant, leading to a special election.
Some Trump allies, including billionaire Elon Musk, have argued that losing Stefanik’s seat is too risky because Republicans and Democrats are battling for control of the House, making that too close to call.
Additional reporting by Nada Taufiq