United States president-elect Donald Trump has selected South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, according to reports. Haley, an Indian-American Republican leader, had met Trump last week amid speculation that she would be offered a Cabinet position.
The appointment will need to be approved by the US Senate. If confirmed, Haley will succeed Obama administration-nominee Samantha Power, who assumed the position in 2013.
The post will be Haley’s first federal government-level position, according to Post and Courier. The move is likely to raise questions about her qualification for the job as her diplomatic experience as governor has been limited, according to the report.
Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, had endorsed Florida Senator Marco Rubio during the Republican primaries held before the presidential election. She had criticised Trump in her response to Obama’s State of the Union address.
Trump won the presidency on November 8, bagging more than 270 electoral votes, even though pre-election polls had predicted a win for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. His win ended the Democrats’ eight-year run at the White House.
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