Trump to announce UN ambassador candidate this week

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump says he’ll announce a candidate for the post of U.N. ambassador this week.

Asked about the opening, Trump told reporters Monday that “I will announce before the end of the week.” Trump departs Washington on Friday for a trip to Paris.

Nikki Haley, the current U.S. ambassador to the U.N., announced last month that she’s leaving the administration at the end of the year.

Trump said last week that State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert (NOW’-urt) is under “very serious consideration” to succeed Haley. The president said Nauert, a former Fox News reporter, is “excellent” and has “been a supporter for a long time.”

Trump answered questions from reporters Monday before he boarded Air Force One for a trip to Ohio for a campaign rally.