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Heather Nauert

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Heather Nauert
Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
In office
April 24, 2017 – April 3, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
SecretaryRex Tillerson
Mike Pompeo
Preceded byJohn Kirby
Succeeded byMorgan Ortagus
Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
In office
March 13, 2018 – October 10, 2018
PresidentDonald Trump
SecretaryRex Tillerson
Mike Pompeo
Preceded bySteve Goldstein
Succeeded byMichelle Giuda (acting)
Personal details
Born
Heather Ann Nauert

(1970-01-27) January 27, 1970 (age 54)
Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Scott Norby
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
EducationPine Manor College
Arizona State University
Mount Vernon Seminary and College (BA)
Columbia University (MA)

Heather Ann Nauert (born January 27, 1970) is an American broadcast journalist and former government official who served as Spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2017 to 2019.[1][2] She is currently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. [3]

Prior to her positions at the Department of State, she worked as an ABC News correspondent and news presenter on the Fox News program Fox & Friends. Nauert also served as Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs from March to October 2018.

Nauert has been a member of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the President's Commission on White House Fellowships since 2019.[4][5]

Early life

Nauert is a native of Rockford, Illinois.[6] Her father, Peter Nauert, was an executive in the insurance industry. She has three brothers: Justin, Jonathan and Joseph.[7]

Nauert attended Keith Country Day School in Rockford, Illinois, Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, then Arizona State University. After landing an internship hosting a country music video program in Washington, DC, she stayed there to finish school, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Mount Vernon College for Women (now part of The George Washington University). She received her master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.[8]

Career

Broadcast journalism

In 1996, Nauert was a reporter for the syndicated business program First Business. She worked for Fox News from 1998 to 2005, first as a contributor for three years and then as a correspondent for four years. During her time as a correspondent, she regularly contributed to The Big Story.[9]

From 2005 to 2007, Nauert held positions at several news organizations, including ABC News as a general assignment correspondent, where she contributed to ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and Nightline. While at ABC, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on the special series 13 Around the World.[9]

In 2007, Nauert returned to Fox News as co-host with John Gibson of the weekday edition of The Big Story[10] until it was cancelled in 2008.

Nauert also co-anchored the newscasts Good Day Early Call and Good Day New York Wake Up with co-anchor Steve Lacy weekday mornings for Fox Broadcasting Company owned-and-operated station WNYW in New York City. In October 2012, Nauert left Good Day Wake Up and became a news presenter for Fox & Friends.[10][11] According to The Washington Post, Nauert "broadcast just about every right-wing talking-point under the sun" when she was a presenter on Fox News. She referred to undocumented immigrant children as "illegals" and warned that immigrant children were bringing "disease". In 2013, she claimed that "sharia law is now changing everything," citing a swimming group for Muslim girls in a YMCA in St. Paul, Minnesota. She pushed Benghazi conspiracy theories.[12]

She has appeared on two fictional TV shows where she played herself: Brother's Keeper (1 episode, 1999) and 24 (3 episodes, 2010).

United States Department of State

Nauert at the White House on July 25, 2017
Nauert speaking with Mike Pompeo at the Singapore Summit on June 12, 2018.

On April 24, 2017, the United States Department of State announced that Nauert would be the new State Department spokesperson, her first role in government.[13] She held her first press briefing in that role five weeks later, on June 6, 2017.[14] Following the dismissal of Steve Goldstein on March 13, 2018, Nauert was named acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, the fourth ranking position in the State Department.[15][12] In that role, she oversaw a budget of $1.2 billion and almost a thousand employees.[12] During her time in the State Department, Nauert did not develop a close relationship with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but after Tillerson's dismissal, she became part of Mike Pompeo's inner circle when he took over as Secretary of State.[12][16]

Nauert voiced opposition to the Iraqi Kurdistan's decision to hold an independence referendum in September 2017.[17]

When the United States withdrew from Unesco, Nauert was quoted by the New York Times as saying, "We were in arrears to the tune of $550 million or so, and so the question is, do we want to pay that money? With this anti-Israel bias that's long documented on the part of Unesco, that needs to come to an end."[18]

In April 2018, Nauert voiced support for Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. She also condemned "Iran's malign influence" in Yemen.[19] In May 2018, Nauert said in response to the Gaza border protests: "We oppose actions against Israel at the International Criminal Court (...) because it does not help the cause for peace."[20]

Nauert called for the release of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia such as Oleg Sentsov, Stanislav Klykh, Oleksandr Shumkov and Volodymyr Balukh.[21]

Nauert condemned the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, saying: "We will continue to hold those responsible accountable."[22]

In August 2018, Canada called for the immediate release of Saudi human rights activist Raif Badawi and his sister, Samar Badawi. In response to Canada's criticism, Saudi Arabia expelled the Ambassador of Canada and froze trade with Canada, leading to a decline in Canada–Saudi Arabia relations.[23] Nauert said: "It is up for the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out. Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We cannot do it for them."[24]

Nauert criticized China's re-education camps and human rights violations against ethnic Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in China's north-western province of Xinjiang. She said that "credible reports indicate that individuals sent by Chinese authorities to detention centers since April 2017 number at least in the hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions."[25][26]

In February 2019, it was reported that she did not intend to return to work as State Department spokeswoman following her withdrawal from consideration as U.N. ambassador.[1]

Proposed nomination as United States Ambassador to the United Nations

On December 6, 2018, major news organizations reported that Trump had picked Nauert to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations.[27] On December 7 he announced that he would nominate her to the position.[28] Trump told reporters that Nauert was "excellent," adding, "She’s been a supporter for a long time."[29] Upon the announcement of her selection, news outlets noted that she had risen rapidly through the ranks of the State Department and that she had little official foreign policy experience (though in her time as a reporter she had interviewed numerous foreign officials and world leaders). Politico wrote, "Less than two years ago, Heather Nauert was conducting interviews on 'Fox and Friends.' Now, she’s preparing to navigate the world’s raging geopolitical issues."[30] A Washington Post headline read, "Heather Nauert once cited D-Day in 'long history' of U.S.-German relations. Now she’s headed to the U.N."[12]

Despite Trump’s announcement of her selection, Nauert was never formally nominated. In filling out paperwork for the appointment, she reportedly revealed that she had employed a nanny who was in the country legally but lacked a proper work visa.[1] Citing family considerations, Nauert withdrew her name from consideration on February 16, 2019.[31]

J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

On March 29, 2019, President Trump appointed Heather Nauert to serve as a member on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the 12-member board meets in Washington, D.C. and is responsible for supervising the Fulbright program.[4]

Personal life

Nauert is married to Scott Norby, executive director of private credit and equity for Morgan Stanley, who previously held positions at National Veterinary Associates, UBS, Goldman Sachs, and Cargill. The couple have two sons and reside in New York. [3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Heather Nauert withdraws from consideration as UN ambassador". CNN. February 27, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  2. ^ Scarry, Eddie (April 24, 2017). "Fox News reporter Heather Nauert named State Department spokeswoman". Washington Examiner.
  3. ^ a b "Heather Nauert Senior Fellow". Hudson Institute. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". The White House. March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  5. ^ Visser, Nick (May 8, 2019). "Heather Nauert To Be Nominated To Post Overseeing White House Fellowships". Huffington Post.
  6. ^ Braun, Georgette (June 6, 2017). "Rockford native appointed State Department spokeswoman". Rockford Register Star.
  7. ^ "Death Notice: Peter W. Nauert". Chicago Tribune. August 24, 2007.
  8. ^ Farhi, Paul (May 25, 2000). "The New Face Of the Talking Head". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ a b "Heather Nauert: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. March 6, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Barmash, Jerry (October 17, 2012). "Heather Nauert and Juliet Huddy Swap Roles at Fox". AdWeek.
  11. ^ Kasana, Mehreen (March 13, 2018). "Trump's Admin Appoints Heather Nauert, A Former 'Fox & Friends' Host, As Acting Under Secretary". Bustle.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Heather Nauert once cited D-Day in 'long history' of U.S.-German relations. Now she's headed to the U.N." The Washington Post. 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  13. ^ Schwartz, Felicia (April 24, 2017). "Former Fox Anchor Heather Nauert Is New State Department Spokeswoman". The Wall Street Journal.
  14. ^ Katz, A.J. (June 6, 2017). "Heather Nauert Gives First Briefing as State Department Spokesperson". AdWeek.
  15. ^ Da Silva, Chantal (March 14, 2018). "The Trump administration has appointed former Fox News host Heather Nauert to a top State Department job". Newsweek. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  16. ^ "Trump to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next U.N. ambassador". The Washington Post. 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  17. ^ "US says it understands 'legitimate aspirations' of people in Iraqi Kurdistan". June 9, 2017.
  18. ^ "U.S. Will Withdraw From Unesco, Citing Its 'Anti-Israel Bias'". The New York Times. October 12, 2017.
  19. ^ "Trump Administration condemns Houthi missile attack on Riyadh, says supports Saudi Arabia's right to defend borders". The Financial Express. April 12, 2018.
  20. ^ "U.S. opposes PA going to ICC as counterproductive, counter to peace". The Jerusalem Post. May 23, 2018.
  21. ^ "Political and Religious Prisoners Held by the Russian Government". United States Department of State. June 18, 2018.
  22. ^ "Trump Names State Department's Spokesperson Nauert as UN Ambassador". VOA News. December 7, 2018.
  23. ^ Gambrell, Jon (August 5, 2018). "Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, freezes trade in human rights dispute". Toronto Star. Associated Press.
  24. ^ "'We don't have a single friend': Canada's Saudi spat reveals country is alone". The Guardian. August 11, 2018.
  25. ^ "U.S. Weighs Sanctions Against Chinese Officials Over Muslim Detention Camps". The New York Times. September 10, 2018.
  26. ^ "Uyghurs, Legal Experts Dismiss Chinese Legal Move to Justify Re-education Camps". Radio Free Asia. October 11, 2018.
  27. ^ Hudson, John (December 6, 2018). "Trump to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next U.N. ambassador". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  28. ^ Chalfant, Morgan (December 7, 2018). "Trump to nominate Nauert as United Nations ambassador". The Hill. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  29. ^ Lucey, Catherine; Lee, Matthew; Miller, Zeke (December 6, 2018). "Trump expected to pick State spokeswoman for UN ambassador". Associated Press. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  30. ^ Orr, Gabby. "The campaign to confirm a diplomatic novice to America's top U.N. post". POLITICO. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  31. ^ Karni, Annie; Haberman, Maggie (February 16, 2019). "Heather Nauert Withdraws From Consideration as U.N. Ambassador" – via NYTimes.com.
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Political offices
Preceded by Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
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