WASHINGTON — The role of United Nations ambassador will once again be a non-Cabinet position following Nikki Haley's exit, a senior administration official and a source with direct knowledge tell NBC News.
The decision was first reported by Bloomberg.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had selected former Fox News host and current State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to serve as Haley's successor.
Nauert, who lacks formal diplomatic experience, will still need to be confirmed by the Senate, but she will not enjoy the official status that Haley had in the administration.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The role of U.N. ambassador has come and gone from the Cabinet over the years, strictly at the discretion of individual presidents. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama included the UN ambassador in their Cabinets, while George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush did not.
Haley argued for the U.N. ambassador to remain in the Cabinet after she was nominated for the position by Trump.
