Progressive Anisha Singh says President Trump’s decision to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is yet another example of his emphasis on loyalty rather than experience when choosing cabinet members.
“He [President Trump] looked into the Fox News family and found someone who could play that part,” the senior organizing director for Generation Progress told Hill.TV on Friday.
“Loyalty over experience has always been the name of the game as well and so we know that he’s always looking for individuals in his administration who are going to be loyal to him over the experience that they have,” she added.
Trump on Friday officially tapped Nauert to replace former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
Haley first announced her plans to resign in October.
Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, was seen by some as one of the few moderating voices within the Trump administration and played a crucial role in balancing often delicate diplomatic negotiations.
Singh said some are concerned about Nauert’s lack of experience, saying the nomination comes at a crucial time when the United States has a tense relationship with a number of other countries.
Nauert has been serving as the State Department’s spokeswoman since April 2017, which was her first government role. Prior to this position, she was a host on “Fox & Friends.”
“The experience has been a concern for folks, Nikki Haley had a lot more experience, what’s this going to play out to be, there’s a lot of tension right now with different partners and allies across the world,” Singh told Hill.TV.
Since taking office in 2017, Trump has sparked a number of foreign policy fights, including a trade war with China and other key allies, while warming up to adversaries like Russia.
Nauert, meanwhile still needs to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, which could prove to be more contentious than expected.
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) warned that Nauert will face “real grilling” by Senate leaders, and joked that the former Fox News host may need an “armor suit.”
— Tess Bonn
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