Donald Trump pulls Elise Stefanik from UN role as fears grow of gargantuan 2026 battle

Stefanik's was expected to sail through the confirmation process.

PUBLISHED 4 DAYS AGO

Trump said Stefanik may still join his administration later.

Washington D.C.: The White House has abruptly pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) nomination as US ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday, reversing course just weeks after her Senate confirmation hearing.

President Trump, who had tapped the ally days after his November 2024 victory, signaled she may still join his administration later but cited urgent congressional priorities.

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) listens as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the House Republicans Conference meeting on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Why did Trump change his mind?

With Republicans clinging to a five-seat House majority, Stefanik’s departure would have triggered a risky special election in her upstate New York district, which Trump carried by 21 points. House Speaker Mike Johnson praised her “selfless decision” to remain, calling her “critical to advancing the president’s agenda". Democrats, however, accused the GOP of panic. “They know they’re screwed in 2026,” said a statement from the House Majority PAC.

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Stefanik, who chaired the House GOP Conference from 2021–2025, had already begun transitioning out of Congress, even referring to Trump’s team as her “Cabinet colleagues” on social media this week.