Washington: President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had selected Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to Canada, as his nominee to serve as the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
Taking to Twitter, Trump wrote that Craft had done "an outstanding job" representing the US and added he had "no doubt that, under her leadership, our Country will be represented at the highest level".
Two people familiar with the matter had told The Associated Press that Trump had been advised that Craft's confirmation would be the smoothest of the three candidates he had been considering to fill the job last held by Nikki Haley.
....Kelly has done an outstanding job representing our Nation and I have no doubt that, under her leadership, our Country will be represented at the highest level. Congratulations to Kelly and her entire family!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">....Kelly has done an outstanding job representing our Nation and I have no doubt that, under her leadership, our Country will be represented at the highest level. Congratulations to Kelly and her entire family!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2019....Kelly has done an outstanding job representing our Nation and I have no doubt that, under her leadership, our Country will be represented at the highest level. Congratulations to Kelly and her entire family!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2019
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had backed Craft for the post, and she also has the support of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, the people said.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump's first pick to replace Haley, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, withdrew over the weekend.
Nauert's withdrawal came amid a push within the administration to fill the position, given an urgent array of foreign policy concerns in which the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, is likely to play a significant role.
From Afghanistan to Venezuela, the administration has pressing concerns that involve the world body, and officials said there had been impatience with the delays on Nauert's formal nomination.
Craft, a Kentucky native, was a member of the US delegation to the UN General Assembly under President George W. Bush's administration.
She is also friends with McConnell's wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and thanked Chao for her "longtime friendship and support" at her swearing-in as ambassador.
As US ambassador to Canada, she played a role in facilitating the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, a revamp of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Craft is married to billionaire coal-mining executive Joe Craft, and they are major Republican donors.
Craft has been ambassador during a low point in relations.
Last year Trump called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weak and dishonest, words that shocked Canadians.
