Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik reportedly was shocked by Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his nomination for her to become the country's UN Ambassador, according to people familiar with the issue.
Trump announced on Thursday that he wants Stefanik to remain in Congress to keep her district in Republican control following the 2026 midterm elections.
According to a report in Axios, the decision caught the congresswoman completely off guard, and she scrambled unsuccessfully to change his mind.
"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations."
Republicans control 218 House seats, while Democrats control 213 seats. Four seats are vacant.
Trump’s decision leaves Stefanik in a difficult situation as she was preparing to leave her congressional seat to serve in his administration. According to Axios, most of her congressional staff have resigned, and she has already given up her slot on the House Intelligence Committee.
Now she'll have to reintegrate back into the House and prepare for any electoral challengers in 2026.
Despite Trump's insistence that Stefanik is needed to maintain Republican control of her district, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Maureen O'Toole said that the GOP would win the seat whether Stefanik was running or not.
"We'd win this seat in a special election and we'll win it in a general election," she said.
In the meantime, Stefanik's allies in Congress are doing what they can to pad her fall back into the House.
Florida Congresswoman Kat Cammack called Stefanik a "rock star" who will be welcomed back without issue into the House GOP's leadership, according to The Hill.
She said she texted Stefanik the message “this sucks, but we all understand" after the news broke.
“But my hope is that President Trump can find a way after midterms to really elevate her profile and really put her in a place where she can continue to do a great service to our nation,” Cammack said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also offered praise for Stefanik and echoed Trump's sentiments about maintaining control of Congress.
Elise Stefanik is truly a great leader and a devoted patriot. Today’s selfless decision shows America what those of us who work with her already know. She is deeply devoted to her country and fully committed to see President Trump’s agenda succeed in Congress. It is well known…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 27, 2025
"It is well known Republicans have a razor-thin House majority, and Elise's agreement to withdraw her nomination will allow us to keep one of the toughest, most resolute members of our Conference in place to help drive forward President Trump's America First policies," he said in a post on X.
He said Stefanik was a "great leader and a devoted patriot."
At the same time, Democrats leapt at the chance to paint Trump's move as a sign of fear and weakness.
"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. "The Republican agenda is extremely unpopular, they are crashing the economy in real time and House Republicans are running scared. What happened to their so-called mandate?"
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