Hour after hour, nominations continue to fall within the future administration of Donald Trump. After Tom Homan and Stephen Miller, the president-elect announced the appointment of Elise Stefanik, Republican representative from New York, as ambassador of the United States to the United Nations.
“I am honored to nominate President Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise Stefanik is an incredibly strong, tenacious and intelligent fighter for America First,” Trump said in a statement.
A figure of the Republican Party
Elise Stefanik, 39, is one of the most visible figures in the Republican Party during the Trump era. After being elected to Congress in 2014 as the youngest woman in history at the time, she gained notoriety for her active role in defending Donald Trump during the impeachment hearings in 2019. Donald Trump called him a “Republican star” for his combative attitude at the time.
As Republican Conference Chair since 2021, Elise Stefanik has solidified her position as an ally of Donald Trump, notably after replacing Liz Cheney, who was impeached for criticizing Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election. Elise Stefanik had aligned itself with the former president by challenging the certification of Joe Biden's victory and promoting his baseless claims of election fraud.
A nomination which announces a more combative posture
The appointment of Elise Stefanik for this strategic position suggests a more offensive approach towards the United Nations. She has regularly criticized the international organization, in particular for its treatment of the Israeli question. Last October, she said the Biden administration should consider a “complete reassessment” of U.S. funding of the U.N. if the Palestinian Authority continues its efforts to revoke Israel's membership. She has also played an active role in denouncing what she perceives as latent anti-Semitism in certain academic institutions.
With this announcement, Donald Trump also closed the door to Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina who served as ambassador to the UN during her first term. Nikki Haley, who led a fierce primary campaign against Donald Trump before supporting him late in the race, will not be asked to return to that role, according to a statement from the president-elect on social media Saturday.
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