President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, chair of the House Republican Conference and a longtime ally, to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, a Trump transition official confirmed to NBC News on Monday.
Stefanik is Trump’s first Cabinet pick for his second term in the White House.
“I am honored to appoint Speaker Elise Stefanik to my Cabinet as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First Warrior,” President Trump said in a statement.
The news was first reported by CNN. NBC News has reached out to Stefanik’s office for comment.
Stefanik, 40, has been a staunch defender of Israel in its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and has been outspoken about anti-Semitism on college campuses over the last year. On the eve of last week’s election, Stefanik renewed his call for an end to funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, claiming it was infiltrated by Hamas.
Israel has accused the organization’s staff of participating in the October 7 terrorist attack and fired at least 10 people. In late October, Israel’s parliament passed a resolution banning the organization’s activities.
Stefanik has served as chair of the House Republican Conference since May 2021, replacing then-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was expelled for her vocal criticism of Trump. Stefanik has served in the House of Representatives since 2015, representing New York’s 21st Congressional District, which covers upstate New York bordering Vermont and Canada.
President Trump’s appointments that create vacancies in the House could be problematic for House Republicans. NBC News has not released the election results yet, but it is possible that the party will retain control of the House, but by a small margin, with effective control of the House remaining after only a few votes remained from the last Congress. I had a hard time.
Contributed by Jake Traylor.
