Trump Says He'll Nominate Key Ally Rep. Elise Stefanik For UN ...

3 days ago

Forbes

Topline

President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., for the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, he confirmed to the New York Post on Sunday night, making her third key pick Trump has formally announced for his upcoming administration.

Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks at the Republican National ... [+] Convention in Milwaukee.

CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Key Facts

The president-elect told the New York Post he was “honored to nominate” Stefanik “to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.”

“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump told the newspaper, confirming an earlier report by CNN.

The announcement comes just a day after Trump announced his former envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, will not be a part of his second administration along with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Stefanik, who is a staunch ally of the president-elect, took replaced Trump critic Liz Cheney as the chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021—making her the House’s fourth highest ranking GOP member.

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Crucial Quote

Stefanik confirmed to the New York Post that she has accepted the role and saying: “During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.”

Who Has Trump Picked For His Second Administration So Far?

Stefanik is one of three names Trump has formally announced will be part of his second administration. Last week, Trump announced he had picked his presidential campaign’s co-chair, Susie Wiles, for the role of White House chief of staff. In a campaign email, Trump credited the longtime GOP consultant for helping him achieve “one of the greatest political victories in American history.” On Sunday night, Trump said he would appoint the former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, as his “Border Czar.” In his announcement, Trump called Homan a “stalwart on Border Control” and said he would be “in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.” Unlike the other two picks, Stefanik’s appointment will need to be approved by the U.S. Senate.

Key Background

Aside from the three formal announcements so far, Trump has floated several names who may be offered roles in his administration, including billionaire Elon Musk and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In September, Trump said he backs Musk’s proposal to create a “government efficiency commission,” led by the billionaire, focused on heavily slashing government spending. The president-elect also said he plans to offer Kennedy—a vaccine critic and prominent conspiracy theorist—a key role in overseeing health care. While Trump has ruled out bringing back his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a few other names reportedly floated for the role include Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., former national security adviser Robert O’Brien, former U.S. ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell and Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bill Haggerty R-Tenn. Federal judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed Trump’s classified documents case in July, is reportedly a top contender for the attorney general role, along with former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, former Senate aide and Republican attorney Mike Davis and former White House lawyer Mark Paoletta.