Trump’s pick for U.N. ambassador is Elise Stefanik. Here’s what to know

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Who: Elise Stefanik

Nominated for: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

You might know her from: As a member of the House of Representatives, Stefanik was a key defender of Trump during the first impeachment proceedings against him. More recently, she became known for her sharp questioning of several university presidents over what she described as antisemitism.

More about Stefanik:

• Elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 at 30, the youngest woman elected to Congress at that time.
• She was a moderate Republican, who moved to the right, aligning herself with Trump.

What this role does: The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is a high-profile diplomatic post that is a Cabinet position in some administrations. Ambassadors negotiate resolutions and speak on behalf of the U.S. in the world body.

When she was elected in 2014 to represent New York’s 21st congressional district, Elise Stefanik was the youngest woman elected to Congress at the time. She had been seen as a moderate conservative, working for then-President George W. Bush and Rep. Paul Ryan. And she was critical of Trump when the leaked Access Hollywood tape came out in 2016, saying Trump made “inappropriate, offensive comments.”

But on Tuesday, Stefanik has been facing senators’ questions in a confirmation hearing about the kind of U.N. ambassador she will be.

“I think we need to roll our sleeves up, deliver reforms and make sure that our dollars are going to programs within the U.N. that work, that have a basis in the rule of law, that have a basis in transparency and accountability and strength in our national security, in our partnerships,” she said.

Stefanik stepped into the limelight in 2019, vigorously defending President Trump during his first term from charges that he was withholding military aid to Ukraine for political reasons — an issue at the heart of his first impeachment. Trump praised her appearances in the impeachment proceedings, calling her a “new Republican star.” She later replaced Trump critic Liz Cheney as the chair of the House Republican Conference — the fourth-ranking position in House Republican leadership.

In 2024, Stefanik made headlines again by grilling the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and MIT over what she described as antisemitism on college campuses amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Stefanik is a strong supporter of Israel and its decision to cut off communication with and ban the U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, UNRWA, from operating in Israel.

That is likely to be high on the agenda if she’s confirmed as ambassador to the United Nations. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres says if UNRWA is forced to stop operating, then Israel would be left to ensure the range of services and assistance the U.N. body has provided to Palestinians for 75 years.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is not always a Cabinet position. Often Republican administrations downgrade the post. However, Trump bucked that trend and kept the job as a Cabinet official during his first term, when he named former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for the role.