Trump selects Kelly Craft for United Nations ambassador

by Jesse Byrnes - 02/22/19 6:13 PM ET

President Trump announced Friday night that he has selected Kelly Craft, the current U.S. ambassador to Canada, to serve as his administration’s top diplomat to the United Nations.

Trump shared news of the nomination on Twitter, writing that “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.”

….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 (R-Ky.) had recommended Craft for the position, a spokesperson for the GOP leader told The Hill this week.

{mosads}Craft, who also hails from Kentucky, is a major GOP donor in the state along with her husband, billionaire coal CEO Joe Craft.

McConnell hailed news of her nomination on Friday night, saying he was “proud” to recommend her and calling her “an exceptional choice for this critical post.”

“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,” McConnell said in a statement.

Trump’s nomination of Craft for the position comes after State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert took herself out of consideration for the top U.N. post last weekend, citing family issues.

If confirmed by the Senate, Craft would become the second ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration, following Nikki Haley, who resigned last year.

Trump nominated Nauert to succeed Haley in December.

Craft has served as ambassador to Canada since October 2017. She was previously appointed as an alternate delegate to the U.N. General Assembly in 2007 under former President George W. Bush.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that Craft “has been an outstanding advocate for America’s national security and economic interests in Canada and she is extremely well-qualified to do the same at the United Nations.”

“I look forward to her confirmation and continuing to work with her at the United Nations,” he said in a statement.

Updated: 7:05 p.m.

Tags Donald Trump Mike Pompeo Mitch McConnell Nikki Haley