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Who is Elise Stefanik? 6 facts about new US ambassador to United Nations
Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman, has been a long-time Donald Trump supporter and has been critical of the UN's role in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that Republic congresswoman Elise Stefanik would serve as the US ambassador to the United Nations.
“I am honoUred to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as US Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Donald Trump said in his statement.
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If confirmed by the Senate, Elise Stefanik would replace current UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a diplomat who has worked for the US Foreign Service for 35 years.
In a post on X, Elise Stefanik accepted the nomination and thanked Donald Trump for bringing back “America First Peace” through his leadership.
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“The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” she said.
Here's everything we know about Elise Stefanik:
1. Elise Stefanik, who was born and raised in New York, was the first person in her family to get a college education. She got her bachelor of arts degree in government from Harvard University in 2006. During her time at Harvard she won an award for women's leadership and was the vice-president of the Harvard Institute of Politics.
2. In an interview with Politico, she revealed that she first considered a career in politics after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. She is also inspired by former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, after whom she named a blog called ‘American Maggie’, where Stefanik reflected on issues pertaining to “conservative and Republican women.”
3. Post-Harvard, Stefanik worked for the George W Bush administration and participated in launching several Republican campaigns as a director of new media and debate speech writer until 2012.
4. In 2014, she contested for US house of representatives from New York's 21st congressional district. At age 30, she was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she first won her district, which had traditionally voted for Democrats.
5. Stefanik has been a staunch Trump supporter, who has remained loyal to the president-elect even during his impeachment trial in 2019. In May 2021, Stefanik called Trump the “strongest supporter of any president when it comes to standing up for the Constitution,” reported The New York Times.
6. Since then, Elise Stefanik has become most known for her support for Israel in Congress, including her questioning of universities and students who led anti-Israel protests. Stefanik has been critical of the UN's role in the Israel-Hamas conflict and was even congratulated by the Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon on X for her nomination.
