State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert is in line for a big promotion: She'll soon be announced as President Trump's nominee to be America's next ambassador to the United Nations, insiders say. Sources tell Reuters that Nauert—a former ABC journalist and Fox & Friends presenter whose State Department role was her first government job—could be unveiled as the choice as soon as Friday morning. The 48-year-old became a department spokesman in April 2017 and was named as an acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs earlier this year. White House officials say the UN ambassador post will no longer be considered part of the Cabinet.
Sources tell Politico that Nauert was an early contender to replace Nikki Haley, who departs at the end of this month, but they thought she had fallen out of contention. Other candidates who had been considered include former White House deputy national security adviser Dina Powell; the ambassadors to France, Germany, and Canada; and NATO ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, the sources say. The Guardian notes that Senate Democrats are likely to focus on Nauert's lack of policy experience or other qualifications, but it will only require a simple majority to confirm her. (After Haley's resignation, Ivanka Trump quashed rumors that she would replace her.)