“I’ve heard how good Ivanka would be,” said President Donald Trump, referring to his daughter as a possible replacement to Nikki Haley, who is stepping down as U.S. ambassador to the U.N.
By David Isaac, World Israel News
“Ivanka would be dynamite,” President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, suggesting he may consider his daughter for the position of U.S. ambassador to the U.N., which Nikki Haley will vacate at the end of the year.
The president made the remarks yesterday on the White House lawn before boarding Marine One for Iowa. “It’s nothing to do with nepotism,” he said, adding, “I’m not sure there is anybody more competent in the world.”
But the president also noted if he chose Ivanka he would open himself to charges of nepotism. “I would then be accused of nepotism, if you can believe it, right?”
Trump’s comments generated much speculation in the press. In an attempt to quell rumors, Ivanka tweeted just after midnight on Wednesday that she wouldn’t be appointed America’s next U.N. ambassador. “It is an honor to serve in the White House alongside so many great colleagues and I know that the President will nominate a formidable replacement for Ambassador Haley. That replacement will not be me,” she tweeted.
Haley’s resignation came as a surprise when she revealed she would step down on Tuesday. She thanked Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, who were present in the Oval Office during her announcement, describing Jared as a “hidden genius.”
“I can’t say enough good things about Jared and Ivanka,” Haley said. “And they do a lot of things behind the scenes that I wish more people knew about.”
A number of replacements have been floated. The most serious candidate at this point may be Dina Powell, formerly U.S. deputy national security adviser to Trump. She also served in the George W. Bush administration as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Deputy Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, and as an Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel.
Another possible candidate for the position is current U.S. ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell.