Who is Elise Stefanik, Trump’s choice for UN ambassador?

President-elect Donald Trump has named Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik, a longtime Trump ally, is a staunch supporter of Israel and also criticizes the United Nations for what she believes is not enough support for its war against Hamas.

“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement confirming the first Cabinet pick of his second term.

If confirmed, Stefanik would replace U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career diplomat who worked for the U.S. Foreign Service for 35 years.

Stefanik said she was “deeply humbled” to accept Trump’s nomination and looked forward to “winning the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate,” which must vote on her nomination to make it official.

“America continues to be the lighthouse of the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek,” Stefanik added in a statement to the New York Post.

The New York congresswoman has minimal experience in foreign policy and national security. She served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, she has become one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters in Congress, drawing national attention when she led congressional hearings on university presidents’ handling of campus protests following the terrorist attack.

Last month she argued that there should be a “complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations” after the Palestinian Authority sought to expel Israel from the UN over human rights abuses in Gaza.

In a statement on Monday, Israel’s international spokesman at the United Nations said that the country’s ambassador, Danny Danon, “looks forward to working closely with Elise Stefanik to combat malicious lies from hostile nations at the United Nations while remaining unwavering in the truth.” and remain committed to justice.”

Before Trump’s announcement, Stefanik had become the highest-ranking woman in the House Republican leadership.

Born and raised in upstate New York, the congresswoman was the first member of her family to earn a college degree after graduating from Harvard University in 2006.

She soon entered politics, serving as a domestic policy adviser in the White House under President George W. Bush and eventually becoming a senior adviser to Bush’s chief of staff, Joshua Bolten.

Stefanik later became a top campaign adviser to Paul Ryan when he ran for vice president alongside Mitt Romney. When Romney lost, the then 30-year-old moved back to upstate New York and ran for Congress, flipping a Democratic-controlled seat by winning by more than 20 points.

Stefanik once portrayed herself to voters as a traditional conservative, but emerged as one of Trump’s most passionate defenders during his first impeachment trial in 2019. Their support for Trump has not wavered since then.

“I’m proud to be a top surrogate,” Stefanik said earlier this year of her support for the president-elect. “I would proudly serve in a future Trump administration.”

Her appointment would leave New York’s 21st Congressional District seat open, leading to a special election.

Some Trump allies, including billionaire Elon Musk, have argued it would be too risky to lose Stefanik’s seat as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the House, which remains too close to call.

Additional reporting by Nada Tawfik