In a surprise to almost no one on the planet, Donald Trump has elected to give outgoing UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s spot as the United States’ top foreign diplomat when she leaves the post at the end of the year to former Fox News personality Heather Nauert, who is currently in another role she’s wholly unqualified for as the spokesperson for the State Department.
Nauert’s appointment will, of course, be subject to Senate confirmation, and with her absolute lack of credentials of any kind, the likelihood of an easy confirmation is slim. Add to that the fact that the midterm elections may upend Congress entirely, including possibly the Senate, and Nauert will certainly face what amounts to more than an uphill battle.
Haley’s tenure at the UN was an outlier among appointments by this President, in that she had experience as the governor of South Carolina and before that, as a legislator in that state. That was considered a sharp contrast with Trump’s picks for other Cabinet posts in that the vast majority went to either completely unqualified nominees or those who seemed least likely to do what the job was actually intended for.
Ironically, the news of Trump’s top choice for the position came via the social media account of a fellow Fox host, now chief White House correspondent for the network, John Roberts:
Senior Administration Official tells Fox News that @statedeptspox Heather Nauert has been offered the job of UN Ambassador
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) November 1, 2018
Haley’s departure was unexpected — some, in fact, would say that it was a complete surprise to the administration — after having merely told the President months ago that she needed some time away from the post. Many have speculated that Haley is planning a run of her own at the White House, although no announcement of any sort has been forthcoming. That is to be expected, as no Republican would announce a candidacy while there is a first term Republican President in office, since it would seem as though they might either challenge the sitting President in a primary election or be so focused on their own candidacy four years from now that they would be unavailable to assist in campaigning for the current commander in chief.
Featured image via screen capture
