WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was withdrawing Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations, a stunning turnaround for his Cabinet pick whose confirmation had been stalled for months due to concerns about Republicans’ slim margins in the House.
In a Truth Social post, Trump confirmed his decision to withdraw the New York Republican nomination, stating that it was “essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.”
“We must work together to achieve our mission, and Elise Stefanik has been an integral part of our efforts since the beginning. “I have asked Elise, one of my most important allies, to remain in Congress,” the president said. He did not specify who he would nominate to replace her and fill his last Cabinet seat.
The abrupt withdrawal reflects growing concern among House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, that their historically slim majority may be jeopardized, particularly ahead of two special elections in Florida next week.
The loss of a few seats could swing the House majority to Democrats and derail their efforts to implement Trump’s sweeping agenda in the coming months.
After Trump announced the move, Johnson praised Stefanik, the former No. 4 House leader, as “selfless” and “patriotic”.
“It is well known Republicans have a razor-thin House majority, and Elise’s agreement to withdraw her nomination will allow us to keep one of the toughest, most resolute members of our Conference in place to help drive forward President Trump’s America First policies,” Johnson wrote in a message to X.
He also stated that he “will invite her to return to the leadership table immediately,” though it is unclear what position she would take given that there are no vacancies.
Stefanik’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump appointed Stefanik to represent the United States at the international body shortly after winning reelection in November. She was regarded as one of the least controversial Cabinet picks, and her nomination passed out of committee in late January, but House Republicans’ razor-thin majority kept her ultimate confirmation in limbo for several months.
Stefanik’s nomination appeared to be on track to advance to the Senate floor in recent weeks, with two U.S. House special elections in Florida in districts that Trump easily won in 2024.
Filling those vacant GOP seats would have allowed Stefanik to finally resign from the House while also giving Republicans, who currently hold 218 seats, a little more leeway in passing legislation in an increasingly divided Congress. Democrats control 213 seats.
Both districts have long been Republican strongholds, and a win by either Democratic candidate would be a major surprise. However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders hope to narrow the margin from November, when Trump won both districts by more than 30 points.
This, combined with Democrats’ upset in a Tuesday special election for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities, has given Republicans pause and sent some members into full panic mode, according to one congressional aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal concerns.
Trump’s statement on Thursday also appeared to express concern about the party’s ability to retain Stefanik’s seat if she were to accept the U.N. post, despite the fact that the sprawling district in northern New York is one of the state’s most conservative and is considered solid Republican territory. Stefanik easily won reelection last year, receiving 62% of the vote over her Democratic opponent. Almost all of the counties in her district supported Trump last year.
In a statement, Jeffries, D-New York, said Trump withdrew Stefanik’s nomination “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,” says Jeffries. “What happened to their so-called mandate?”
Stefanik is the fourth Trump administration nominee who was not confirmed. Previously, former US Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general, Chad Chronister was removed from consideration for the Drug Enforcement Administration, and former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon was removed from consideration to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The former congresswoman had been in limbo for months, unable to carry out her official duties as a member of the 119th Congress or take part in the action at the United Nations.
The vacancy for a permanent US ambassador occurred at a critical time for the international body, as world leaders were debating the two major wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas.
In late February, the US mission, led by Trump, broke with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three United Nations resolutions aimed at ending the three-year war. Dorothy Shea, the deputy United States ambassador to the United Nations, has been the face of America’s mission in New York throughout the transition.
Stefanik’s nomination was withdrawn following a recent farewell tour of her district, during which she met with supporters and expressed gratitude for their support.
Stefanik had also been conducting what appeared to be a retrospective of her time in Congress on Instagram, with one post featuring images from 2016 of her on a cable news show and posing with supporters, accompanied by the caption “Congressional throwback continued.”
Stefanik’s final throwback post, made Thursday morning, reflected the abruptness of Trump’s decision.
