UNITED NATIONS: President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced fierce critic of the world organisation, Elise Stefanik, as the US permanent representative, a cabinet-level position.
The appointment of Stefanik, whom he called “an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter”, sets the stage for a resurrection of the confrontation with the UN, which marked his first term.
She is the second nominee to his cabinet after Susie Wiles, whom he named his chief of staff.
On Sunday night, he announced that he was appointing Tom Holman as his “Border Czar” to oversee the mass deportation of illegal migrants and the tightening of border security.
Stefanik’s position has to be approved by the Senate, while the chief of staff does not need it and it is not clear if Holman will have to be confirmed by the Senate as the post of “Border Czar” is not currently an official position.
Stefanik, who represents a constituency in New York State, is the chair of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives.
She is one of the staunchest supporters of Trump in Congress and voted in 2021 against certifying the election of Joe Biden as president, endorsing Trump’s claim that it was he who had won the election.
During Trump’s impeachment hearings, Stefanik was among the most vocal opponents of the Democratic move.
She shares Trump’s criticism of the UN and other international organisations.
Trump pulled the US out of the UNESCO and the Paris Climate Accord reached under the auspices of the UN.
The US is the largest contributor to the UN, accounting for 22 per cent of the budget, and Stefanik has said that Washington should reconsider funding the organisation.
Stefanik has accused the UN of anti-Semitism because of its criticism of Israel, particularly during the Gaza War.
Accusing the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRA), which provides a range of humanitarian services to Palestinians, of harbouring Hamas operatives, she supported cutting off funding for it.
The UN is already forced into inaction on Gaza and Ukraine wars because of the standoff between the Western countries in the UN Security Council and Russia, backed by China.
Stefanik will add to the polarisation, although on Ukraine it is not clear what Trump’s policy would be.
He has said that he would end the war and he has been lukewarm on financing Ukraine, while many in the Republican right have called for cutting back.
On Saturday, Trump said that he would not be inviting Nikki Haley, a permanent representative to the UN during his first term, to join his administration.
Haley came to the UN with a stern America First agenda and attacked the critics of the US, threatening retaliation.