WH Official: UN Ambassador Will Be Downgraded To Non-Cabinet Position

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo/The AP



By DEB RIECHMANN

December 7, 2018 1:44 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House official says the Trump administration is downgrading the U.S. diplomatic post at the United Nations to a non-Cabinet position.

President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he had chosen State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

If confirmed, the former Fox News Channel reporter who has little foreign policy experience would replace Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who said she was stepping down at the end of the year.

While Nauert will be a leading administration voice on Trump’s foreign policy, a White House official told The Associated Press that her post would be a non-Cabinet position. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the change.

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Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/un-ambassador-downgrade-non-cabinet-position

[C_U_L8R]

1. Is he trying to avoid Senate confirmation?

I was looking forward to some basic grilling of the pr flaks' qualifications.

[onenote]

2. Don't think he can

[hlthe2b]

3. Whether cabinet level or no, the position still requires Senate confirmation.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Oh good. This should be funny.

[hlthe2b]

7. yes....I'm sure the UN Sectretary General will be thoroughly "impressed" to receive her credentials.

[Honeycombe8]

5. I have a different theory. He's trying to hurt Nikki Haley.

Haley is one name that is being bandied about by Republicans as a possible future Presidential candidate.

It's possible Trump wants to hurt her as much as possible w/o actually being seen attacking her, to make sure she doesn't run in 2020.

She was a Governor. But another feather in her cap was a cabinet position as the Ambassador to the U N, an important ambassadorship. She also scored some accomplishments there.

Naming a Fox Bunnie to the job, and downgrading the position, would somewhat take away the ambassadorship credentials.

Just my theory, knowing how paranoid and petty Trump is.

[TeamPooka]

8. "See, anybody can do that job." says trump

[Honeycombe8]

16. Something like that, yeah. nt

[lagomorph777]

17. He's already proven that any idiot can become President.

[onetexan]

18. Haley is as much an opportunist as the Idiot is

anyone who accepted to work in this administration has got to have their head examined. Wonder what she'll be doing after this UN gig.

[Honeycombe8]

23. It was a good move that put a feather in her cap.

It gave her national and international exposure and experience, and she managed to traverse the divide between the real world and Trump's mind, and get out on a high note w/o a fight w/Trump. That's unusual in his administration. She has high approval ratings.

Knowing how petty, insecure, and paranoid he is, he is the type to try to damage someone before she has the opportunity to take anything away from him.

[onetexan]

25. While i agree with most of what u said

I dont agree with the part about her having high approval ratings. She took the job to raise her profile, did the criminal's bidding @the UN repeatedly, made blatant excuses for his damaging policies and stances on the global stage, and got out while the going was good when she couldn't stomach it anymore. She like all the other spineless GOP did nothing to stand up to this man's continuing destruction of our democracy.

Forgot to add, do note how she criticized him repeatedly during the 2016 elections. Then all of a sudden when she was offered a job in his admin, she lost her spine and became his advocate. Shameless.

[karynnj]

22. Or it could help her due to the contrast especially if her replacement is a complete failure

Then if he is doing poorly, he might replace Pence with Haley.

[jberryhill]

9. That and the 25th Amendment

Heh

[niyad]

6. hmm, downgrades the position, then appoints a woman. . . typical sexist bs from the sexual

predator in chief.

[Doreen]

11. Exactly what I thought.

Can not have a woman in an important position with any control.

[hughee99]

29. Wasn't his last UN ambassador also a woman, and that was before the position was downgraded?

[niyad]

31. yes, but you are missing the point.

[hughee99]

33. Is the point that he downgraded the positions and appointed a women

Because he’s sexist, even though last time, he also appointed a women and didn’t downgrade the position?

[Takket]

10. UN Ambassador is a cabinet position???

[hack89]

12. Yes if the President wants it to be

Eisenhower raised the ambassadorship to cabinet rank in order to give Lodge direct access to him without having to go through the State Department.[2]

The Ambassadorship continued to hold this status through the Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations but was removed from cabinet rank by George H. W. Bush, who had previously held the position himself. It was restored under the Clinton administration. It was not a cabinet-level position under the George W. Bush administration (from 2001 to 2009),[3][4] but was once again elevated under the Obama administration, and retained as such by the Trump administration.[5]

Former UN Ambassador (and current National Security Advisor) John R. Bolton has publicly opposed the granting of cabinet-level status to the office, stating "One, it overstates the role and importance the U.N. should have in U.S. foreign policy, second, you shouldn't have two secretaries in the same department".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_the_United_Nations

[EleanorR]

14. Of course it's Bolton. nt

[EleanorR]

13. Under some administrations yes

Clinton and Obama yes, Bush Sr and Jr, no.

[Paladin]

15. I trust the U.N. will take note of this, and hold this country in even lower esteem. (nt)

[sdfernando]

19. I'm not sure it can go lower /nt

[Stuart G]

30. Please, never under estimate the power of Mr. Donald Trump. Much lower is indeed possible.

I am sad to say the above, but I believe that can happen and will happen.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

20. I think the GOP holds the U.N. in low esteem.

A "World Government"? Heresy.

[Honeycombe8]

24. Yes. Trumpers want the U.S. to withdraw from the U.N.

They are "nationalists." They don't want the U.S. to be concerned with any other country, except insofar as we get money from trade or taxes or whatever.

[maxrandb]

21. Seeing all the photos of Donnie Short Fingers groping Heather

I think this was a demand from the "First Nude" to keep Heather away from the White House.

[GulfCoast66]

26. I'm sure UN Barbie will be given the respect she deserves

By all the other ambassadors at the UN.

[DeminPennswoods]

27. Maybe the name will be changed, too

Something like "Fox News spokeswoman at the UN".

[Odoreida]

28. Maybe I'm bring paranoid but ...

The thought occurs to me that Trump is fixing to withdraw the USA from the UN.

He'd need a majority of the senate, of course.

[niyad]

32. he has a puke majority in the senate.

[Odoreida]

34. Not all would necessarily go along with a pull out from the UN ...

... In particular, the Neocon types.

[mpcamb]

35. Can't help agreeing that "the former Fox News Channel" personality needs downgrading.

Even a broken clock and all that...