U.S. News

Nauert withdraws from U.N. ambassador consideration

By Allen Cone   |   Updated Feb. 17, 2019 at 2:52 PM
Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswomen, announced Saturday night she has withdrawn from consideration as the U.N. ambassador. Photo courtesy U.S. Department of State

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Heather Nauert announced Saturday night she has withdrawn from consideration as the U.N. ambassador, saying the "past two months have been grueling for my family," including reportedly dealing with a vetting process that included a nanny without proper work authorization.

Donald Trump never formally nominated Nauert for the post in the United Nations but on Dec. 7 the president told reporters the State Department spokeswoman was his choice to replace Nikki Haley, who departed at the end of the year.

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"I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary [Mike] Pompeo for the trust they placed in me for considering me for the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations," Nauert, 49, said in a State Department press statement. "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 has traveled frequently around the world as the State Department spokeswoman as well as going between Washington and New York to see family. Fox News also reported the nomination process added to her burden, Fox News reported.

CNN and The Washington Post reported a background check revealed that she failed to initially pay taxes on a nanny who didn't have proper work authorization before she worked for the State Department. Nauert, who voluntarily disclosed the nanny situation during the vetting process, didn't comment publicly on it.

"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."

She became a spokeswoman for the State Department in April 2017 after serving as a news correspondent, mostly at Fox News, since 1998. Her nanny situation wasn't revealed in her government security investigation then.

"Heather Nauert has performed her duties as a senior member of my team with unequaled excellence," Pompeo said in a statement. "I wish Heather nothing but the best in all of her future endeavors and know that she will continue to be a great representative of this nation in whatever role she finds herself."

Trump wanted Nauert to become the top envoy with the United States.

"She's going to work with Nikki Haley to replace Nikki at the United Nations," Trump told reporters. "She's very talented, very smart, very quick, and I think she's going to be respected by all."

In October, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, informed Trump she wanted to leave the U.N. post by the end of the year.

The State Department said Trump will make an announcement about a new nominee "soon."

The nomination is sent to the Senate for confirmation.