Trump nominates Heather Nauert as UN Ambassador

Washington, December 7

President Donald Trump Friday nominated chief State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as US’ next envoy to the UN to replace the outgoing Indian-American Nikki Haley.

In October, Haley announced that she was leaving the post by the end of the year. The 46-year-old former South Carolina Governor has served nearly two years in the post. She is the first Indian-American ever appointed to a Cabinet position in any US presidential administration.

Trump told reporters at the White House that “Heather Nauert will be nominated for the ambassador to the United Nations”.

Nauert, 48, is an unorthodox choice, given her little experience in government or foreign policy before she took up the role at the state department.

She was made the state department spokeswoman in April 2017, her first government position. This year, after former Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson was fired, she was named the acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs.

Prior to that, Nauert, worked for Fox News from 1998 to 2005 and after two years, during which she worked for the ABC, returned to Fox in 2007.

She eventually became an anchor on “Fox & Friends”, the president’s favourite show. PTI