Sputnik discussed this with Michael Springmann — Attorney author and former diplomat from Washington DC, USA
Sputnik: Now what are the chances that Trump will in fact appoint Heather Nauert as the country's envoy to the UN?
Michael Springmann: I would expect that he will go through with it, although with Donald Trump who could change his mind seemingly every other minute, there's always a possibility he may pick somebody else such as the American Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison or one of the Ambassadors to France, Germany or Canada, but I think that Trump is likely to go through with this, it's been publicized as being expected for the last couple of days, and he will, of course, announce it in a tweet as he always does.
Sputnik: Why the announcement via tweet, what's up with that?
I frankly don't know what the fascination with tweets are because they appear and disappear whether it's Trump or somebody else tweeting on the website, but it comes and goes, it flips across your eye like a lightning bug and then it's gone forever. So I don't know why he does this, but he does it.
Sputnik: Maybe it's less evidence that way. What's your take on this appointment? Many people are saying that she doesn't really have much experience and are doubting whether or not she's really qualified?
Michael Springmann: That's correct, neither was her predecessor Nikki Haley. Being governor of South Carolina doesn't make you equipped to be Ambassador to the United Nations.
READ MORE: Trump Confirms He's Nominating Heather Nauert to Be US Ambassador to UN
In fact, when she was there she seemed more like Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations. But with Heather Nauert she was a health insurance consultant at one point, she went to Mount Vernon Community college which is a two-year school here in Washington and then she went to Columbia University for journalism.
Essentially she was an entertainer as an anchor on Fox News, on its cable program, and regrettably, American television news is more entertainment than solid news and solid analysis.
So, I don't think she's capable and qualified for really anything. She's attractive, she speaks well on television which apparently is what guides Trump's interest on this, he wants a telegenic person who can help sell his programs to the rest of the world.
Sputnik: Do you think this is going to get past the Senate? Are they going to approve her candidacy?
Michael Springmann: I think it's going to be tough, but I think it can be done, the Republicans hold a slim two seat majority in the Senate, and certainly the Democrats will use this, as they did Brett Kavanaugh as a chance to slam the Trump administration, by talking about incapable, incompetent appointees.
But in general, in the past a president gets pretty much who he wants appointed granted that the position at the United Nations is no longer a Cabinet level post.
READ MORE: Nauert's Comments on Searches of Russian Properties 'Mock' Situation — Embassy
Apparently, John Bolton nixed this idea that was insisted on by Nikki Haley. But in general, the presidents get what they want no matter how bad it is. And of course it reflects Trump's view of surrounding himself with people who are not capable or not knowledgeable and as a result give him remarkably bad advice. But I think that he's going to go ahead with this and I think after a lot of wrangling, like Brett Kavanaugh, she's going to be approved.
Sputnik: Do you think that she'll be very loyal to Donald Trump?
Michael Springmann: Oh definitely, in fact, when she was working at the State Department as a press spokesman Secretary Tillerson didn't want her around and tried to limit her exposure because he saw her as being very loyal to the White House and very closely tied to Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump's daughter, and her husband, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
So, I think that her first loyalty which got her into the position is that she's loyal to Trump, and loyal to the White House, and loyal to Trump's policies.
Sputnik: Is that kind of another motivation for Trump to make this appointment or make this choice?
Michael Springmann: I would think so, he values loyalty, he values people who espouse his ideas like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, the current Secretary of State. So, I think that's one of the key factors that he sees nominating her.
Sputnik: Let's go back and talk about Nikki Haley a bit, she also didn't really have the qualifications to be the UN Ambassador. How would you assess her term, what would you say? What has she accomplished or not accomplished?
Michael Springmann: Well, she's not really accomplished anything,… sorry, go ahead…
Sputnik: She's really a reflection of the relations between the US and other members of the UN and how has she really handled this?
So, I think that she was basically a loose cannon who made the United States look very bad, very incompetent for put putting somebody like this in a very public position where you need diplomacy, tact, common sense and the ability to persuade, rather than demand and command, which is pretty much the problem with American foreign policy under Trump.
Sputnik: Do you think Trump is happy with her stint as UN Ambassador, it seems like he wasn't planning to fire her and he was actually quite disappointed that she left?
Michael Springmann: Yes, I think she did what he wanted, she was his spokesman, she advocated what he advocated.
Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.
