President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE officially tapped State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, ending weeks of speculation about Nikki Haley Nimrata (Nikki) Haley'The soul' versus 'law and order' Author Ryan Girdusky: RNC worked best when highlighting 'regular people' as opposed to 'standard Republicans' GOP lobbyists pleasantly surprised by Republican convention MORE’s replacement.

The U.N. post represents a significant promotion for Nauert, who since April 2017 has served as the State Department’s chief spokesperson.

"Heather Nauert will be nominated for the ambassador to the United Nations," Trump said on Friday.

I am pleased to announce that Heather Nauert, Spokeswoman for the United States Department of State, will be nominated to serve as United Nations Ambassador. I want to congratulate Heather, and thank Ambassador Nikki Haley for her great service to our Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018

As U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nauert will be a key figure in promoting and defending the Trump administration’s foreign policy on the international stage.

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Haley abruptly announced her plans to resign in October, a development that sent shockwaves through Washington less than a month before the midterm elections and triggered speculation about her aspirations for higher office.

Nauert was brought on under Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Rex Wayne TillersonGary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November Kushner says 'Alice in Wonderland' describes Trump presidency: Woodward book Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE and currently serves under his successor, Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE. Before that, Nauert was an anchor for Fox News.

Nauert will have to be confirmed by the Senate in order to assume the ambassador role. Haley has said that she plans to stay on through the end of the year, offering some time for her replacement to be confirmed.

In remarks alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Haley said in October that she wanted to take a break from public office. She quashed immediate speculation that she would try to run for president in 2020, saying she planned to support Trump for reelection.

“It’s been eight years of intense time and I’m a big believer in term limits,” Haley said. “You have to be selfless enough to know when you step aside and allow someone else to do the job.”

Haley, with whom Trump had built a close relationship, was seen as a steady and moderating voice within the administration. Her departure has been widely viewed as a loss within Republican circles.

Trump said he had a shortlist of five candidates to replace Haley shortly after her announced departure, including Dina Powell, his former deputy national security adviser. Reports surfaced in late October that Trump was considering Nauert for the position.

Updated at 11:28 a.m.