Heather Nauert withdraws from consideration as UN envoy

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - State Department said on Saturday that Spokeswoman Heather Nauert withdrew from consideration for the U.S. ambassador to UN.

Last December, President Donald Trump had announced he was picking Nauert for the UN job to replace Nikki Haley, but the formal nomination had not been sent to the Senate.

"I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo for the trust they placed in me for considering me for the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations," Nauert said in a statement.

"However, the past two months have been grueling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration."

She entered the role of State Department spokeswoman in 2017 without any foreign policy experience and under her the Department dramatically scaled back its once daily press conferences to only a handful, at best, each week.

Trump will make an announcement with respect to a nominee for the UN post "soon", according to the statement.