Updated at 9:20 a.m. with expected nomination of U.N. ambassador

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he will nominate William Barr, former President George H.W. Bush's attorney general, to serve in the same role.

Trump made the announcement while departing the White House for a trip to Missouri on Friday.

Trump says that Barr is "a terrific man" and "one of the most respected jurists in the country" and says, "I think he will serve with great distinction."

He also says Barr was his "first choice from Day One."

Heather Nauert, a former Fox TV host, will be nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

Also Friday, Trump announced he's nominating State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

"Heather Nauert will be nominated," Trump said Friday before departing the White House on Marine One for an event in Kansas City. "She's very talented, very smart, very quick, and I think she's going to be respected by all."

If confirmed by the Senate, Nauert, a former Fox News Channel reporter who had little foreign policy experience before becoming State Department spokeswoman, will replace Nikki Haley. Haley, a former South Carolina governor, announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Nauert would be a leading administration voice on Trump's foreign policy.

Trump told reporters last month that Nauert was "excellent," adding, "She's been a supporter for a long time."

Barr, 68, is likely to face tough questions at his confirmation hearing about how he will handle the ongoing special counsel investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin to influence the 2016 presidential election.

If confirmed by the Senate, Barr would succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was forced out by Trump in November.

Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, is serving as acting attorney general.

From The Associated Press and The Washington Post

Posted by Breaking News editor Matt Peterson