Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) asks a question during a House committee hearing about anti-Semitism on campus with the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT on Dec. 5, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Stefanik.

JNS

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in his upcoming administration.

“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,” Trump said in a statement quoted by the New York Post.

Stefanik confirmed in a statement that she has accepted the role. “I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” she said. “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate,” she continued.

On Sunday, Nov. 10,  Stefanik wrote  on X that it was “day 400.” She added,  “It has been 400 days since Hamas terrorists abducted innocent civilians during the barbaric Oct. 7 attack in Israel,” she wrote. “There are over 100 still being held hostage in Gaza, including seven Americans. We must bring them home now.”

The congresswoman has been one of the most vocal members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in its efforts to investigate American universities for failing to protect Jews on campus.

CNN reporting that Trump had offered the role to Stefanik, prompted congratulatory statements:

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) wrote that she “will take the United Nations by storm, take on the anti-U.S. and Israel bigotry, combat Jew-hatred and hold adversaries to account.” “Elise will be a strong voice advancing U.S. foreign policy and helping to reestablish America’s leading role in the world,” Lawler added.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, wrote that the congresswoman, who is “a big proponent of maximum pressure on Iran’s regime,” will be “an excellent U.N. ambassador.

“Screams and cries being reported all over Turtle Bay [where the U.N. Headquarters is located],” wrote Richard Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“A great choice,” wrote David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Others have also indicated support for her nomination including:

Orthodox Union Executive Director for Public Policy Nathan Diament: “We @OUAdvocacy congratulate @EliseStefanik upon Pres-Elect Trump’s announced intention to nominate her as @USUN Ambassador. We have no doubt she will be a great champion there for US nat’l security, Israel and combatting the antisemitism the UN so often embodies.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt: “Mazel Tov to @EliseStefanik on her nomination to be the next US Ambassador to the @UN. Rep. Stefanik has been a critical partner and absolutely fearless in fighting campus antisemitism. I’m excited to work with her to combat anti-Jewish hate & anti-Israel bias on the world stage.”

Speaker of The Knesset Amir Ohana: “The right woman, in the right place, at the right time. A brilliant pick by President-Elect Trump. @RepStefanik is a strong voice of moral clarity and a fierce fighter for what is right—exactly what the UN lacks nowadays and everything the US stands for. Knowing that Israel and the Jewish people will have a steadfast friend like you at the UN is truly uplifting. Godspeed, @EliseStefanik”

United Against Nuclear Iran Policy Director Jason Brodsky: “Congresswoman Stefanik would be an excellent UN ambassador. She’s a big proponent of maximum pressure on #Iran’s regime and was just tweeting about it yesterday. She also was a cosponsor of the #MAHSAAct. Her work on countering antisemitism in the Congress has likewise been impressive, and that is badly needed at the UN.”

Stefanik’s local connections

Elise Stefanik serves as the U.S. representative for New York’s 21st congressional district. As chairwoman of the House Republican Conference since 2021, she is the fourth-ranking House Republican. Her district includes the cities of Ogdensburg, Glens Falls, and Plattsburgh and is most of the Adirondack Mountains and the Thousand Islands regions. It borders Vermont to the east and Canada to the north.

Stefanik was born in Albany and is a graduate of the Albany Academy for Girls.

She and her family have homes in Willsboro and in Schuylerville, NY.