Rep. Elise Stefanik with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, in New Hampshire during the 2024 GOP primary campaign. (Getty Images)
Trump's move comes amid concerns by the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill over next week's special congressional elections in Florida.
Voters in two congressional districts in Florida will head to the polls on Tuesday, as Republicans aim to keep control of both solidly red seats and give themselves slightly more breathing room in the House.
The elections are in Florida's 1st and 6th Congressional Districts, which Trump carried by 37 and 30 points in last year's presidential election.
‘SHOW OF FORCE’ - TRUMP ALLY KICKING OFF CAMPAIGN IN RACE TO SUCCEED FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS
But the Democratic candidates have vastly outraised the Republican nominees, and polling in recent days suggested that the race in the 6th District was within the margin of error.
The GOP currently holds a 218-213 majority in the House, with two vacant seats where Republicans stepped down and two where Democratic lawmakers died in March.
Florida state Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from South Brevard County, who is running in Tuesday's special House election in the state's 6th Congressional District. (AP)
Weil grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks by topping Fine in the campaign cash battle by roughly a ten-to-one margin.
The cash discrepancy in the 6th CD race spurred GOP-aligned outside groups to make last-minute contributions in support of Fine in the closing days of the campaign, with conservative super PACs launching ads spotlighting Trump's support of Fine.
"I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker," Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told reporters earlier this week.
But Hudson added that Fine is "doing what he needs to do. He’s on TV now."
And he emphasized, "We’re going to win the seat. I’m not concerned at all."
Trump, pointing to Fine, on Friday acknowledged that "our candidate doesn't have that kind of money."
There's been criticism of Fine by some fellow Republicans. Former top Trump political adviser and conservative host Steve Bannon warned that Fine "isn't winning."
And two-term Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters last week that the GOP would underperform in the race, arguing that "it’s a reflection of the candidate running in that race."
But it's worth pointing out the contentious history between DeSantis and Fine, who was the first Florida Republican to flip his endorsement from DeSantis to Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination battle.
In the 1st District, where there is less concern by Republicans about losing the seat, Valimont topped Patronis in fundraising by roughly a five-to-one margin.
House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., listens as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Stefanik represents New York's 21st Congressional Distirct, a large, mostly rural, district in the northernmost reaches of the state that includes most of the Adirondack Mountains and the Thousand Islands region. She cruised to re-election last November by 24 points.
"We don't want to take any chances. We don't want to experiment," Trump said as he pointed to what would have been a special election later this year to fill Stefanik's seat if she had resigned if confirmed as U.N. ambassador. "She polls like I do. I won her district by a lot of points. She also does very well there."
"She's very popular. She's going to win. And somebody else will probably win, too, because we did very well there. I did very well there. But the word ‘probably’ is no good," the president added as he emphasized he didn't want to take any chances."
Trump said he had asked Stefanik, "Would you mind staying in Congress?' 'Cause we don't want to take any chances. It's as simple as that. It's basic politics. It's politics 101."
"I really appreciate her doing it," Trump added. "She's doing me a big favor . . . because she was all set to go to the United Nations."
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Stefanik has already stepped down and has been replaced in her House GOP leadership role as chair of the House Republican Conference.
"I spoke to Mike Johnson, they're going to put her in a high leadership position," Trump said, as he referred to the House Speaker.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-reveals-why-he-pulled-stefaniks-un-ambassador-nomination-cannot-take-chance