The Trump administration’s sudden decision to pull Elise Stefanik’s nomination for United Nations ambassador is prompting a round of finger pointing between the White House and Republican leadership, six sources familiar with the White House’s deliberations told NOTUS under the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely.
It’s also causing friction within the Republican conference, as lawmakers try to figure out what’s next for the New York lawmaker.
Speaker Mike Johnson has always had to contend with a slim GOP majority, but Stefanik’s pending departure and closer-than-comfortable polling margins in the election for a Florida seat vacated by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had started to make the White House nervous. With President Donald Trump’s agenda on the line and negotiations on a reconciliation package ramping up, leaving open another seat wasn’t a risk Republicans were willing to take.