President-elect Donald Trump will nominate South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as his administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, according to the Charleston Post & Courier and several other sources.
Haley, currently serving her second term as governor, would hold the job once done by Susan Rice in the Obama administration and now held by Samantha Power.
Haley, the first woman governor of South Carolina, is a rising political star in the Republican establishment and was a Trump critic during the presidential campaign. She met with Trump last week, despite their differences expressed during the presidential campaign.
The governor prominently criticized Trump during her response to Obama’s State of the Union address in January.
“During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,” Haley said. “We must resist that temptation.”
Campaigning for Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign in March, she joined the chorus of Republicans who demanded that Trump release his tax returns.
Trump responded on Twitter: “The people of South Carolina are embarrassed by Nikki Haley!” he wrote.
By October, however, Haley said she would vote for Trump, despite her reservations about his character.
“This is no longer a choice for me on personalities because I’m not a fan of either one, what it is about is policy,” she said.
The official announcement from the Trump transition team is expected later today.
UPDATE:
In a news release, Trump says:
Governor Haley has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country. She is also a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals. She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage.