Trump Chooses Kelly Craft To Take Over Nikki Haley's Role at UN
Kelly Craft, who currently serves as the U.S. ambassador to Canada, is President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations, Trump announced Friday.
“I am pleased to announce that Kelly Knight Craft, our current Ambassador to Canada, is being nominated to be United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “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!”
….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
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert had been the initial focus of speculation regarding Haley’s replacement, but she removed herself from consideration. Nauert said she acted “in the best interest of my family” in withdrawing, Fox News reported.
Congrats to my friend Kelly Craft @USAmbCanada on @realDonaldTrump intent to nominate you as @USUN Ambassador. Your work on #USMCA and excellence representing the U.S. in #Canada make us all proud.
— heather nauert (@HeatherNauert) February 23, 2019
Craft, who comes from Kentucky, was given strong support Friday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“Kelly Craft is a strong advocate for American interests and will be a powerful representative of our great nation at the U.N. She has a long record of service to her state and the nation and I’m confident she will continue to serve with distinction as America’s voice to the world at the United Nations,” the Kentucky Republican said in a statement, according to The Hill.
Craft and her husband, Joe, have been major Republican donors in Kentucky.
In its reporting on Craft’s nomination, The Washington Post noted conciliatory comments Craft previously made on the subject of climate change.
“I believe there are sciences on both sides that are accurate,” Craft said in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “Both sides have their own results from their studies, and I appreciate and respect both sides of the science.”
During that interview, she said withdrawing from the Paris climate accord did not mean the U.S. wouldn’t support environmental efforts.
“We all have the same goal, and that is to better our environment and to maintain the environment,” she said.
One commentator noted that Craft’s role was often to keep peace between the U.S. and Canada.
“She has a pretty tough road as ambassador at a time when the relationship took a definite turn for the worse, and she handled the challenge with tact and grace,” Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, told The New York Times.
“I have never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy as a cause for withdrawing from a friend,” Craft was quoted by The Times as saying at a Fourth of July event she once hosted at her official residence in Ottawa.
Craft, who was confirmed by the Senate for her current position, will require Senate confirmation to assume her new role as well.
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