Trump withdraws UN envoy pick Elise Stefanik to maintain House majority

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on March 27 he had withdrawn his pick to be ambassador to the United Nations because the Republicans need to maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives to advance his “America First” agenda.

Republican Representative Elise Stefanik is a close Trump ally and was chosen by the president for the UN role less than a week after he was elected in November.

CBS News first reported that Ms Stefanik’s nomination was in jeopardy.

“It is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress,” Mr Trump said, in a social media post.

“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat.”

Republicans currently hold a 218 to 213 majority in the House of Representatives, where there are four vacancies, as they prepare to try to extend Mr Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and address a national debt that tops US$36.6 trillion (S$35.65 trillion).

Ms Stefanik told Fox News’ “Hannity” programme that she had multiple conversations with Mr Trump on March 27 and that she was “proud to be a leader in the House in terms of one of his top allies and that will continue to be the case.”

Ms Stefanik was the last Cabinet-level Trump nominee who had not been confirmed.

She was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with some Democratic votes, on Jan 30 and had been expected to be easily approved by the full Senate.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Ms Stefanik.

“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 social media post.

Veteran US diplomat Dorothy Shea has been the acting US ambassador to the UN since the Biden administration’s envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield stepped down in January.

It was not immediately clear who Mr Trump might choose to replace Ms Stefanik.

“There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” Mr Trump wrote.

The United States is the largest contributor to the UN budget. It was also one of the world’s largest humanitarian aid donors, but the Trump administration has slashed billions of dollars in foreign assistance, including to UN agencies.

Mr Trump said in February that the UN has “great potential and... we’ll continue to go along with it, but they got to get their act together.”

The UN pushed back at the time, saying Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had worked tirelessly to implement reforms.

Earlier in March, Mr Guterres announced a new initiative to improve efficiency and cut costs as the world body turns 80 this year amid a cash crisis.

Mr Guterres has not yet spoken with Mr Trump or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Since returning to office on Jan 20, Mr Trump has stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, and ordered a review of the UN cultural agency Unesco.

He has also announced US plans to quit the Paris climate deal and the World Health Organisation. REUTERS