It was widely expected that one-time Fox News anchor-turned-State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert would be formally named the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Nikki Haley.
President Trump announced on Dec. 7, 2018 that he was nominating Nauert. But no formal nomination had been sent to the Senate, and it looks as though no formal nomination will be ever be sent to the Senate regarding Nauert because not only has she pulled her name from consideration for the role, but it appears that she will be leaving the administration entirely.
“I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary Pompeo for the trust they placed in me for considering me for the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. However, the past two months have been grueling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration,” Nauert said in a statement. “Serving in the administration for the past two years has been one of the highest honors of my life and I will always be grateful to the president, the secretary and my colleagues at the State Department for their support.”
The State Department said Pres. Trump will make an announcement about a new nominee soon.
Why is Nauert pulling her name from consideration? According to CNN, prior to joining the administration, Nauert employed a nanny who was not legally able to work in the country. Although the nanny was in the U.S. legally, she also wasn’t paying taxes while working for Nauert. Apparently, Nauert disclosed the situation while filling out the paperwork for the position, a source close to Nauert who was helping prepare her for the nomination told CNN’s Kylie Atwood, but it became apparent that this would be an issue. Nauert decided to step away because “she was not aware of how tough it was going to make it.”
Before arriving at the State Department, Nauert had been an anchor at Fox News almost continuously since 1998, most recently on Fox & Friends, with a two-year stop at ABC News in between (2005-2007). In 2009, she briefly added anchoring at the Fox-owned New York station WNYW.