America’s UN Ambassador Post Is Empty. Is That a Problem? By Rick Gladstone – New York Times
When Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman and former “Fox & Friends” host, withdrew from consideration for United Nations ambassador, President Trump averted a potentially difficult Senate confirmation struggle over what some critics have called her insufficient experience. But Ms. Nauert’s withdrawal also underscored his challenges in filling the job.
A terse announcement on Saturday night that Ms. Nauert no longer wished to be considered because of family considerations appeared to put Mr. Trump back where he started when his first ambassador, Nikki R. Haley, announced last October that she was leaving at the end of 2018.
Ms. Haley’s departure, with no word on a successor, has left the Trump administration devoid of a high-profile presence at the United Nations, the world’s most prominent diplomatic stage, for nearly two months. Here is a look at the role of the ambassador and whether a prolonged vacancy poses problems for the United States…