White House withdraws nomination of Elise Stefanik for top Cabinet position

The White House has pulled the nomination of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to  serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

 President Trump named the New York Republican congresswoman and close ally as his choice for the post just days after winning the 2024 election. 

But the White House informed the Senate her name was being pulled on Thursday.

Stefanik had her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee shortly after Trump took office on January 21.

She was expected to fly through the confirmation process with some bipartisan support. But the full vote was never scheduled. 

It comes as House Republicans are barely holding onto their majority. 

The White House pulled the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik on Thursday 

There were speculations that her confirmation was being postponed until after the special elections in Florida to fill the seats left by Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz.

Trump posted on social media just after the news broke on Capitol Hill. 

‘As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress,’ he wrote. 

‘We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning,’ he continued. 

Trump had requested Stefanik, one of his key allies, to stay in Congress to assist in implementing various initiatives like tax cuts, job creation, economic growth, border security, energy dominance, and peace through strength to continue making America prosperous.

He said that the congresswoman would rejoin the House GOP leadership, but it was not clear what her role would be. 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) with President Trump at a rally in January 2024

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) with House Speaker Mike Johnson on November 13, 2024 just days after she was nominated to serve as ambassador to the U.N.

Stefanik served as the House Republican Conference chair from 2021 to 2025, but she did not seek to return to the position having been nominated to serve in the Trump administration. 

The president signaled that she would potentially join the administration in the future writing he looked forward to that day. 

Just last month, Stefanik embarked on a farewell tour in her district to thank the constituents she represented in Congress. 

She also has been posting on social media about joining the administration and even referred to Trump officials as ‘Cabinet colleagues’ in a post on Wednesday. 

In a post on X, House Speaker Mike Johnson called Stefanik a ‘great leader and a devoted patriot.’

‘Today’s selfless decision shows America what those of us who work with her already know,’ he wrote. ‘She is deeply devoted to her country and fully committed to see President Trump’s agenda succeed in Congress.’

 He noted her ‘agreement to withdraw her nomination’ and praised her ‘willingness to sacrifice that position and remain in Congress to help us save the country.’

Johnson said he would invite her immediately to the leadership table.  

Stefanik in attendance for Trump’s Cabinet meeting at the White House on February 26, 2025

Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st Congressional District since 2015, which includes a mostly rural region in the northernmost part of the state. 

Democrats on Thursday suggested that Republicans were ‘running scared,’ and that’s why they withdrew the nomination.

‘Donald Trump won the Elise Stefanik district by 21 points in November 2024. He withdrew her nomination to be U.N. Ambassador because the extremists are afraid they will lose the special election to replace her,’ House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. 

Democrats’ House Majority PAC claimed Republicans are in ‘full-blown panic over their razor-thin majority.’ 

‘They know they’re screwed in 2026,’ their statement read.