U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump has named South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to become the next American Ambassador to the United Nations.
“Governor Haley has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country,” said Trump in a news release announcing the appointment. “She is also a proven dealmaker and we look to be making plenty of deals. She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage.”
Haley, 44, is known in Israel for her opposition to the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and her pro-Israel positions. Last year, she signed into law the first state-wide bill in the United States to block BDS activity in South Carolina.
Haley, born Nimrata Randhawa in a Sikh household to Indian immigrants, today identifies as a Christian and is the first female, “non-white” cabinet-level official appointed to the incoming Trump administration. She is in her second term as the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, and is married with two teenagers. Her appointment must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The governor is the youngest to serve in the United States and a rising star in the Republican party. Haley also heavily criticized Trump during his candidacy, a fact that appeared to be irrelevant when the president-elect considered the governor for the post.