Trump Asks Stefanik to Stay in House, Forgo UN Ambassadorship

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday asked Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to remain in Congress rather than serve as his ambassador to the United Nations as planned.

Stefanik, a diehard supporter of the president, had been one of his first Cabinet picks following the 2024 election, and her nomination was expected to easily win confirmation in the Senate.

However, concerns about the Republicans’ razor-thin majority in the House, and an unexpectedly tight special election contest to be decided in Florida next week, prompted a change in plans.

“As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain every Republican seat in Congress,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.

“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day,” he continued.

“There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” the president added. “Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People.”

Trump hinted that the abrupt change in Stefanik’s career trajectory may be only temporary, saying that he looks forward “to the day when Elise is able to join my Administration in the future.”

“Speaker Johnson is thrilled!” the president added, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Throughout the fall, in fact, as Trump selected one member of Congress after another to join his administration, Johnson often appeared visibly concerned when asked about his declining margin for error in the House.

But most believed whatever discomfort Johnson would experience would be only temporary.

In recent weeks, however, the fate of one of the so-called safe Republican seats up for grabs in special elections in Florida next week changed the political calculus.

On Tuesday, voters in Florida’s 1st and 6th Congressional Districts will head to the polls to decide who will complete the current terms of former Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz.

Both men resigned from Congress after being nominated for posts in the Trump administration, Gaetz to be attorney general, and Waltz to be national security adviser.

Gaetz later withdrew himself from consideration after allegations of sexual misconduct appeared to doom his path to confirmation.

The contest for Gaetz’s former seat pits Republican Jimmy Patronis against Democrat Gay Valimont, with Patronis currently expected to win.

The race to replace Waltz, who has recently been criticized for his role in a leaked Signal chat about a military strike on Yemen, has grown far more interesting.

The race is a contest between Republican State Sen. Randy Fine and Democrat teacher Josh Weil.

And while Fine has dramatically out fundraised his opponent, polls show Weil is still in the race and possibly could win it in an upset.

So good are the Democrats feeling right now that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has told reporters both races are signs that “the American people are not buying what Republicans are selling.”

“These districts are so Republican there would ordinarily be no reason to believe that the races will be close,” he said, before going on to predict the Democrats in both races will “significantly over perform.”

But what really appears to have caused Republicans dismay is that they might have trouble holding onto Stefanik’s seat if she leaves it.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has already advanced her nomination to the floor, where a vote was expected by Tuesday.

But Democrat Blake Gendebien, a dairy farmer, has been running for her seat in New York’s 21st Congressional District, and he’s already amassed a war chest of more than $2 million — potentially enough to tip the scales in a district that leans Republican but is far more competitive than either of the Florida districts being contested next week.

“I started this campaign because the North Country deserves a representative who truly knows what it means to work hard and deliver for our community — and what’s been made clear today is that Washington knows I’m the right person to do so,” Gendebien said in a post on the X social media platform Thursday afternoon.

“The administration is abandoning Congresswoman Stefanik’s nomination because they need her vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, and rural education in order to give billions of dollars in handouts to the ultra-wealthy,” he said.

And he closed with a warning: 

“I’m committed to representing the community that raised me, regardless of when that election is,” he said.

Also weighing in was the House Majority PAC, a super PAC focused exclusively on electing Democrats to the House.

“House Republicans are in a full-blown panic over their razor-thin majority, worrying about holding on to a seat that Trump won by 21%. They know they’re screwed in 2026,” said Katarina Flicker, the PAC’s national spokeswoman, in a written statement.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue