NANNY ROW: TRUMP NOMINEE PULLS OUT OF UN ENVOY RACE

: President Donald Trump’s choice for US ambassador to the United Nations, Heather Nauert, has withdrawn from consideration for the job for family reasons, the state department has said.

Nauert was state department spokeswoman when Trump chose her for the UN position after working as a host for the conservative-leaning Fox News channel. She had been criticised by Democrats for her lack of diplomatic experience. “The past two months have been gruelling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration,” Nauert said in a state department statement.

The statement did not specify the hardship on her family but the Washington Post said Nauert’s husband and children had remained in New York while she was working in Washington. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters Nauert withdrew from consideration because she had a nanny who was in the United States legally but did not have the proper work visa. Nauert was not immediately available for comment. The White House had no information on who might be the next in line for the UN job.

Trump had announced on Dec. 7 he would nominate Nauert for the UN position to replace Nikki Haley, who resigned at the end of 2018.

Haley was a former South Carolina governor who also had little experience in world affairs before taking the position.

The White House had not yet formally submitted Nauert’s nomination to the Senate. She joined the department as spokeswoman in April 2017 and was named acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs in early 2018.

WASHINGTON