John Fetterman, the Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania, praised Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), US President-Elect Donald Trump's nominee for Ambassador to the United Nations and pledged to support her nomination.
After the two met, Stefanik wrote on X, "Thank you to @SenFettermanPA for hosting a very productive meeting where we discussed our shared commitment to standing with Israel and combating antisemitism. Senator Fetterman shared his ideas for strong national security leadership and I highlighted my ideas on implementing President @realDonaldTrump 's America First peace through strength national security agenda."
Fetterman wrote in response, "Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation."
He added, "I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views."
Trump announced his nomination of Stefafik following his victory is last month's presidential election.
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump stated.
“Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter. She graduated from Harvard University, with honors, was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and is the highest ranking woman in Congress, as the House Republican Conference Chair. She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me, and has always been a staunch advocate,” added Trump.
“Elise is a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and led the charge against antisemitism on college campuses. She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!” he concluded.
Stefanik said when she accepted the nomination, “The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak US leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries. I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations.”
Stefanik, who has been a staunch supporter of Israel, visited Israel in May and spoke at the Knesset, where she criticized President Joe Biden for his policy approach to Israel and the war in Gaza.
She rose to prominence when she grilled presidents of universities at a hearing of the House Education Committee which dealt with the phenomenon of rising antisemitism on college campuses, and exposed their failure to confirm that calls for the genocide of Jews violated their schools’ rules.
Fetterman has emerged as one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the Democratic Party in the wake of the October 7 massacre.
In September, Fetterman told Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, "'To me, it's not about politics, it's about a commitment to Israel. I just had to recognize that Israel just had to attack Hezbollah and destroy a hundred batteries of rockets. I can only project and stand with Israel throughout all of this.''
He insisted that his support would continue regardless of the results of the elections, promising: "Regardless of what might happen, I've always been very committed to supporting Israel. Of course, we have an election, and I think that that's warped some of it, but to me it's it's not about politics. I disagreed strongly with some of the things that Trump has said politically, but my commitment to Israel is absolute, regardless of political party."
He addressed the issue of radicalism in his party, adding, "I would ignore radicals in both parties. I have been a regular Democrat that has been absolutely and unapologetically standing with Israel, and this voice is going to continue to contain those kinds of views and values."