By New York Post (Politics) | Created at 2025-03-28 22:56:22 | Updated at 2025-03-31 16:04:29
2 days ago
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday revealed he withdrew Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination as US ambassador to the UN because the GOP faces a series of tough showdowns in the House and needs her vote.
Trump acknowledged the tight spot that the party is in, saying he “didn’t even want to take the chance’’ over her vacated seat and another in Florida.
“We have a few elections going on,’’ he noted — the day after Stefanik told Fox News she was excited to take the UN post.
A senior White House official added to The Post, “Debt ceiling and reconciliation votes are going to be tough already due to Democrats and slim margins, and we can’t make it tougher on ourselves.”
Stefanik’s Republican seat representing the 21st Congressional District in New York “would have been vacant for most of the year,” the source said.
“The American people need and deserve every Republican vote in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda,” the official said. “We don’t have time to waste.”
Major issues facing Congress will include Trump’s marquee border, energy and tax bill, which could pass on a party-line vote by a simple majority, and upcoming government spending legislation, which is likely to be opposed by Democrats and could also rankle fiscal hawks in the Republican conference.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said last month that he phoned Trump during the White House’s transition after the election to warn him about the shrinking majority when several Republicans were tapped for administration posts.
“Trump began to call the herd,” Johnson explained at an event with Americans for Prosperity on Capitol Hill, referring to the president’s nominations. “So he took a few, and I called him, and I’m like, ‘Mr. President, you cannot take anymore.’ “
Johnson said Trump replied, “Oh, Mike did I do that?”
Republicans currently hold a 218-213 majority over Democrats in the lower chamber.
Stefanik, 40, had been selected as the United Nations nomination in November — and tweeted as recently as Monday about being excited to join her “Cabinet colleagues” in the Trump administration.
She then went Fox News’ “Hannity” on Thursday night to insist she was OK with her UN bid being dead.
“This is about stepping up as a team,” she said. “I am doing that as a leader to ensure that we can take hold of this mandate and deliver these historic results.”
Trump told reporters Friday that he pulled the appointment because of the special election that would have been on the way for the New York Republican’s district and a vacancy left by former Florida GOP Rep. Mike Waltz, who is now the president’s national security adviser.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had recently halted plans to delay the special election to fill Stefanik’s seat after running into issues with Trump over congestion pricing.
The president insisted Friday that Stefanik was “popular in her district” and “can’t be beaten” — the five-term House Republican has always won by double-digits — but couldn’t say the same for a potential replacement.
Florida Republican candidate Randy Fine, who is running to replace Waltz, also is facing fundraising issues, he noted.
Democrat Josh Weil has amassed roughly $9 million in total campaign donations compared to Fine’s $987,459 in contributions, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
“You never know what happens in a case like that,” Trump said of the race.
Trump said Stefanik was “doing me a big favor” by returning to Congress, where she’s been promised a seat at the leadership table again by Johnson.
It’s unclear what role that will be, given that Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) was elevated to conference chair in January.
A source familiar with the discussions about House Republican leadership said McClain will remain in that role.
Some GOP sources were left mystified by Trump’s decision to yank Stefanik’s nomination, saying they “felt confident” about the special election for her upstate New York district as well as Waltz’s coastal district comprising Daytona Beach, Fla.
A source admitted that Fine was “not a great candidate” — but that was largely due to the fundraising issue.
“It’s probably going to be closer than expected,” the source predicted of the race.
Another Republican insider griped, “Pulling Stefanik doesn’t make sense.
“She is more than qualified, and Republicans would win her seat.
“It plays into the Dem narrative that you’d lose these seats. It makes everyone looks stupid,” the GOPer vented.
Trump has not announced yet who will succeed Stefanik for the UN role.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) also resigned from office after being briefly considered for the position of US attorney general.
The contests for his and Waltz’s seats will be held in their old Florida districts Tuesday.
