The White House has pulled the nomination of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to  serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

 President Trump named the New York Republican congresswoman and close ally as his choice for the post just days after winning the 2024 election. 

But the White House informed the Senate her name was being pulled on Thursday.

Stefanik had already gone before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee one day after Trump was sworn into office on January 21 for her confirmation hearing. 

She was expected to fly through the confirmation process with some bipartisan support. But the full vote was never scheduled. 

It comes as House Republicans are barely holding onto their majority. 

 Her confirmation would have put them down another seat, so there was talk that they were delaying her confirmation until after the special elections in Florida to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz. 

Trump posted on social media just after the news broke on Capitol Hill. 

‘As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress,’ he wrote. 

‘We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning,’ he continued. 

‘I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,’ it went on. 

He said that the congresswoman would rejoin the House GOP leadership, but it was not clear what her role would be. 

Stefanik served as the House Republican Conference chair from 2021 to 2025, but she did not seek to return to the position having been nominated to serve in the Trump administration. 

The president signaled that she would potentially join the administration in the future writing he looked forward to that day. 

Just last month, Stefanik embarked on a farewell tour in her district to thank the constituents she represented in Congress. 

She also has been posting on social media about joining the administration and even referred to Trump officials as ‘Cabinet colleagues’ in a post on Wednesday. 

In a post on X, House Speaker Mike Johnson called Stefanik a ‘great leader and a devoted patriot.’

‘Today’s selfless decision shows America what those of us who work with her already know,’ he wrote. ‘She is deeply devoted to her country and fully committed to see President Trump’s agenda succeed in Congress.’

 He noted her ‘agreement to withdraw her nomination’ and praised her ‘willingness to sacrifice that position and remain in Congress to help us save the country.’

Johnson said he would invite her immediately to the leadership table.  

Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st Congressional District since 2015, which includes a mostly rural region in the northernmost part of the state. Prior to her 2014 victory for the open seat a decade ago, the district was represented by a Democrats.

Democrats on Thursday suggested that Republicans were ‘running scared,’ and that’s why they withdrew the nomination.

‘Donald Trump won the Elise Stefanik district by 21 points in November 2024. He withdrew her nomination to be U.N. Ambassador because the extremists are afraid they will lose the special election to replace her,’ House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. 

Democrats’ House Majority PAC claimed Republicans are in ‘full-blown panic over their razor-thin majority.’ 

‘They know they’re screwed in 2026,’ their statement read.

Had Stefanik been confirmed and vacated her congressional seat, New York’s governor would have had ten days to announce the date of a special election which would have taken place within a three-month window.