Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley reportedly picked to be the US ambassador to the UN Reuters

The Governor of South Carolina, Republican Nikki Haley, has reportedly been picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be the ambassador of the US to the United Nations.

Citing multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, South Carolina's Post and Courier said that the governor had accepted the diplomatic position and the move will likely be announced on Wednesday, 23 November. She is Trump's first female appointment to a cabinet-level post.

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The daughter of Indian immigrants, 44-year-old Haley is serving her second term as governor and has previously worked on trade and labour issues but has very little experience in foreign policy. UN ambassadors in recent times have had experience in presidential administrations, generally with either the State Department or the National Security Council.

According to the Washington Post, her views about national security and US military are in line with the GOP's hawkish stance. Haley met Trump in New York at the Trump Tower last Thursday.

She had criticised some of Trump's policies such as the temporary Muslim ban during the primaries and had supported Marco Rubio in the initial months of the race.

The governor grabbed national headlines last year for the way she handled the racially charged Charleston church shooting and the South Carolina floods that took place in close succession. She convinced legislators in the district to take down the Confederate flag that had flown on the state house grounds for more than 50 years.

If the appointment is confirmed, Haley could be replaced by Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster, a top Trump aide. However, she would have to be confirmed by the US Senate.

She would be a successor to Samantha Power, who worked on the National Security Council in the Obama administration before she became the US ambassador to the UN in 2013.