President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations. Even though Stefanik has little foreign policy experience, Trump has picked his loyal ally to represent the United States at the international organization.
On Monday, Trump said, “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter.”
Stefanik is the first of his cabinet picks to face a Senate confirmation hearing.
A Loyal Ally To Take On a Challenging Role
Stefanik, forty, was among those discussed as a potential running mate before JD Vance was announced. She has been one of Trump’s most loyal allies in the House of Representatives and has served as the House Republican Conference Chair. Trump has also announced in a statement that Stefanik will be a cabinet member.
Despite her lack of experience, she will have to navigate the deep fissures in the United Nations. These include the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The ambassadors of China and Russia, whose countries are strong allies, will likely be her opposition to the UN Security Council. Both countries are “looking warily” at Trump’s second presidency. She will also have to face ambassadors from Iran and North Korea.
Current US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state for Africa. She has served in Biden’s cabinet and has been in her role throughout his presidency.
Trump’s Former Ambassadors
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, also had little foreign experience when she took on the same role for Trump’s first administration. Her only foreign experience was a few trade missions. After two years in the role, she resigned. Later, she ran against Trump for the GOP nomination for president.
Kelly Craft, wife of a Kentucky coal magnate and then US ambassador to Canada, followed Haley as UN ambassador. She later unsuccessfully bid for the GOP nomination for governor of Kentucky.
Former US national security adviser under Trump, John Bolton, told The Associated Press that he regards Stefanik as a new version of Haley.
“She wants to run for president in 2028. She realizes she has no foreign policy experience so what better way than to become UN ambassador? She stays two years, and then away we go,” Bolton says.
Bolton also served as a UN ambassador during the Bush Administration.
Stefanik’s Political Career
Stefanik was born and raised in upstate New York and graduated from Harvard. She served in the chief of staff’s office and on the domestic policy council for former President George W. Bush’s White House.
At 30, Stefanik became the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress when she was elected to represent upstate New York. Later, she became the youngest woman to serve in the House leadership.
Though known as a moderate conservative voice in her early career, Stefanik became a MAGA ally and staunch Trump devotee and remade her image to fit the MAGA aesthetic. She also positioned herself as one of Trump’s confidants and allies on the Hill, and her influence increased soon after.
In 2021, she became the House Republican Conference chair.
In 2024, Stefanik endorsed Trump’s presidential bid and campaigned for him throughout the GOP primary.
Stefanik is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which Is charged with overseeing national intelligence. Her choice reflects Trump’s preference for unconditional loyalty in the people he is choosing for his second administration. Loyalty is more important to him than career experience.
Stefanik Versus the U.N.
Stefanik is a passionate supporter of Israel. At the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, she accused the United Nations of antisemitism for their criticism of Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza and the resulting deaths of 43,000 Palestinians. She has called for a “complete reassessment” of US funding for the United Nations.
Additionally, Stefanik has pushed to block American support for the U.N. agency that provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
