President Trump explained on Friday that he decided to withdraw Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for the role of US ambassador to the United Nations due to the GOP’s fragile majority in the House and the pressing need for every Republican vote.
Recognizing the narrow margin the party currently holds, Trump said he didn’t want to risk losing a seat in Congress. “We have a few elections going on,” he noted, just days after Stefanik expressed enthusiasm about her UN appointment on Fox News.
A senior White House official told The Post that avoiding any additional strain on critical votes like the debt ceiling and reconciliation measures was essential. “Debt ceiling and reconciliation votes are going to be tough already due to Democrats and slim margins, and we can’t make it tougher on ourselves,” the official said.
Had Stefanik left her seat representing New York’s 21st Congressional District, it would have remained empty for much of the year, the official explained.
“The American people need and deserve every Republican vote in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda,” the official emphasized. “We don’t have time to waste.”
With major legislative battles looming — including key bills on border security, energy, and taxes — Trump is counting on party unity to push measures through by simple majority, especially as budget-related fights are expected to divide both parties.
House Speaker Mike Johnson recalled recently that he reached out to Trump during the administration’s transition phase to urge caution after several Republicans were nominated for executive roles, which would have further thinned the GOP’s House margin.
“Trump began to call the herd,” Johnson said at an event with Americans for Prosperity. “So he took a few, and I called him, and I’m like, ‘Mr. President, you cannot take anymore.’”
Johnson said Trump replied, “Oh, Mike did I do that?”
Currently, Republicans hold a slim 218-213 edge in the House.
Stefanik, 40, had originally been tapped for the United Nations post in November, and even tweeted just this week about her excitement in joining Trump’s Cabinet.
On Thursday night, however, she appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” and confirmed she was fine with the change. “This is about stepping up as a team,” she said. “I am doing that as a leader to ensure that we can take hold of this mandate and deliver these historic results.”
Trump confirmed Friday that he rescinded Stefanik’s nomination due to the special election that would be triggered in her district, along with the vacancy caused by Rep. Mike Waltz’s move to the role of national security adviser.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul had recently reversed a plan to delay the special election for Stefanik’s seat, following disagreements with Trump over congestion pricing.
Trump emphasized that Stefanik remains highly favored in her district. “She’s popular in her district” and “can’t be beaten,” he said, noting her consistent double-digit wins. He expressed uncertainty about whether a successor could maintain that edge.
As for Florida’s 6th District, Trump raised concerns over GOP candidate Randy Fine’s fundraising struggles. Democrat Josh Weil has significantly outraised Fine, with $9 million to Fine’s $987,459, according to FEC filings.
“You never know what happens in a case like that,” Trump commented.
He added that Stefanik is “doing me a big favor” by staying in the House and will be granted a renewed leadership role, according to Johnson.
However, what position she will fill remains unclear, as Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan was already promoted to conference chair earlier this year. A source familiar with leadership plans said McClain would remain in that post.
Trump’s move surprised some Republican insiders, who felt confident they could win special elections in both New York and Florida. One source admitted Fine wasn’t the strongest candidate but attributed that mainly to his fundraising disadvantages.
“It’s probably going to be closer than expected,” the source said of Fine’s race.
Another Republican operative criticized the decision, saying, “Pulling Stefanik doesn’t make sense.”
“She is more than qualified, and Republicans would win her seat. It plays into the Dem narrative that you’d lose these seats. It makes everyone look stupid,” the GOP insider vented.
As of now, Trump has not named a new pick to succeed Stefanik for the UN position.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was briefly floated as a possible US attorney general, also left Congress recently. Special elections for both his and Waltz’s former seats are set to take place in Florida on Tuesday.
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