NEW YORK: US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert is said to be one of the candidates US President Donald Trump is considering to replace his outgoing ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, Politico a daily news magazine reported on Wednesday.

Ambassador Haley made her mark on television by her strong support to the Trump administration and Israel.

The White House is looking for someone telegenic to replace her, according to the Politico news report.

Nauert, former Fox News host, is currently serving at the State Department’s spokesperson and acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. She is said to have grown closer to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo which makes her a front runner for the post.

“White House aides view her as a capable advocate for the Trump administration’s foreign policy. She is also a leading candidate to replace White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders when she leaves the White House,” the report said.

Haley will relinquish her charge by the end of the year, but it was the timing of her decision, which caught the media by surprise, coming just weeks before the crucial mid-term elections in November. The elections will decide as to which party will control the Congress.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018