Trump chooses New York Republican Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump has selected Republican Elise Stefanik as his ambassador to the United Nations.

“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First,” Trump said in a statement Monday announcing his selection.

Nikki Haley, who competed with Trump for the Republican Party nomination, was among those who served in that position during his first term.

» READ MORE: Donald Trump’s five most essential campaign promises explained

Stefanik, 40, who serves as chairman of the House Republican Conference, has long been one of Trump’s most devoted allies in the House and was among those being considered as a potential vice presidential candidate.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Stefanik graduated from Harvard and worked in former President George W. Bush’s White House on the Domestic Policy Council and in the Chief of Staff’s office.

» READ MORE: Democrats kept calling Trump a fascist, but Pennsylvania voters thought he could support pay their bills

In 2014, at the age of 30, she became the youngest woman elected to Congress, representing upstate New York. She later became the youngest woman to serve as leader of the House of Representatives.

Stefanik was known as a more moderate conservative voice early in her term. But she soon bonded with the former president, quietly reshaping her image as a staunch MAGA ally and watching her power grow.

In 2021, she became chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.

» READ MORE: ‘Inflation is more costly…than we thought’: What voters say motivated them to vote for Trump

For years, Stefanik has positioned herself as one of Trump’s most trusted allies and confidants on the Hill. She endorsed him in the 2024 presidential race before he even announced his candidacy and aggressively campaigned on his behalf during the Republican primary.

She noted that her profile rose after aggressive questioning of three university presidents over anti-Semitism on campus led to the resignation of two of them, which Trump repeatedly praised.

She also vigorously defended him in both impeachment trials and criticized his four criminal charges, including filing an ethics complaint in New York against the judge who heard his civil fraud case.