Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said she will stay in the House after President Trump announced her nomination would be withdrawn for United Nations ambassador, saying the surprising move was a result of concerns about special elections and the razor-thin House margin.

“This is about stepping up as a team, and I am doing that as a leader, to ensure that we can take hold of this mandate and deliver these historic results,” Stefanik told guest host Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News’s “Hannity” Thursday night, in her first public comments since Trump announced her nomination would be withdrawn.

“I have been proud to be a team player. The president knows that. He and I had multiple conversations today. And we are committed to delivering results on behalf of the American people,” Stefanik said.

Keeping with her reputation for being one of Trump’s staunchest defenders, the reasoning Stefanik provided publicly tracks with the public statement from Trump on Truth Social announcing the move earlier in the day, when he cited the “very tight majority” and not wanting to risk anyone else running in her seat, despite it being a solidly Republican district. 

One senior White House official told The Hill that there were worries that the seat would be vacant for most of the year and noted that high-stakes votes on Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda and the debt ceiling would be tough due to the slim margins, saying that Republicans needed all the votes they could get. Republican sources also pointed to a Florida special election for a Republican seat set for next week being closer than anticipated.

Stefanik noted pushes by New York Democrats to delay the special election to fill her seat once she left.

“It really came to a culmination today, but it was a combination of the New York corruption that we’re seeing under [Gov.] Kathy Hochul [D], special elections and the House margin,” Stefanik said. 

“And look, I’ve been in the House. It’s tough to count these votes every day. And we’re going to continue to defy the political prognosticators and deliver victory on behalf of President Trump and importantly, the voters across this country.”

Right now, Republicans can afford to lose just two Republicans on any party-line vote, assuming full attendance, with 218 House Republicans and 213 House Democrats. That math will soon change: Two vacancies in two Republican-leaning seats that will be decided on Tuesday, and two Democratic-leaning seats that will be decided later this year. 

Stefanik left her position as House Republican Conference Chair, the No. 4 leadership in the position in the House GOP, as she was waiting for confirmation. Now, what her House future looks like is unclear.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement that he would “invite her to return to the leadership table immediately.” But all election leadership positions are full. Current House GOP Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) has said she has no intention to leave. 

When asked about that leadership position, Stefanik said: “I’m going to continue speaking out … Because I’m not pending confirmation, the American people will be hearing a lot more from me.”

Stefanik said she will continue her work taking on issues of antisemitism in public education and in the Armed Services.

Brett Samuels contributed.