Nikki Haley is officially out at the United Nations at the end of the year – and it’s been revealed that State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was just offered the job to replace her by President Donald Trump.
Senior Administration Official tells Fox News that @statedeptspox Heather Nauert has been offered the job of UN Ambassador
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) November 1, 2018
Prior to the confirmation, Fox News, reported that Nauert was the “leading contender” to replace Haley, but that “several other officials have been named as potential candidates, including U.S. Ambassador to France Jamie McCourt.” As we reported last month, other potential replacements for Haley included Richard Grenell (current U.S. Ambassador to Germany), Dina Powell (former Deputy National Security Adviser for strategy), and even possibly Ivanka Trump (no further description needed).
In the end, Trump ended up choosing Nauert, who will presumably accept the position.
Who is Heather Nauert?
Nauert currently holds two positions in the Trump administration – Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department. She previously worked in the media, having held jobs at Fox News from 1998-2005, ABC from 2005-2007, and Fox again from 2007-2017. Nauert co-hosted Fox & Friends, which is one of President Trump’s favorite shows on the network.
She’s also been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the non-partisan think tank boasting over 4,900 members.
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Nauert vs. Haley
The public policy positions that Haley took while serving as UN ambassador included:
- Public opposition to Trump’s calls for a Muslim ban.
- Opposition to removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power.
- Threatening U.S. military action in response to North Korean missile tests (remember those?).
- Strong support for Israel, including support for moving Israel’s embassy to Jerusalem.
- Condemning the use of capital punishment.
- “Taking names” of the countries who opposed Trump’s decision of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Obviously, we’ll have to wait for Nauert to hold the position to know her exact policies, but she’s expressed support for Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen (which Haley expressed concerns about).
The main difference between the two isn’t in terms of foreign policy, but their attitude towards President Trump. Nauert has been a consistent supporter of the President, while Haley has never shied away from expressing her disagreements with Trump. That led some to suggest that Haley could be the person behind the infamous anonymous NYT op-ed by a member of the Trump administration, but Haley denied it, reiterating that she tells Trump her disagreements to his face.
A Coming Confirmation Battle?
We could be headed for some more political grandstanding from Senate Democrats during Nauert’s confirmation hearings. While prior UN Ambassadors had years of foreign policy experience, Nauert is relatively new to the game. That, plus her prior employment at Fox News, could be points of contention for Senate Democrats.
Not like it will matter as Republicans control the Senate, but it is a possibility, as Democrats attempt to score some last-minute political points ahead of midterms. If all goes well, Nauert could be starting her position as early as next week.
Trump has told advisers that Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, is his leading choice to become US ambassador to the United Nations and he could offer the post as soon as this week. W @eliselabottcnn and @Kevinliptakcnn https://t.co/CKMJOUDV4h
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 1, 2018
Who did you expect Trump to pick?
