On Friday, the U.S. President nominated Kelly Craft, the current ambassador to Canada, to replace Nikki Haley as the ambassador to the United Nations.

….Kelly has done an outstanding job representing our Nation and I have no doubt that, under her leadership, our Country will be represented at the highest level. Congratulations to Kelly and her entire family!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2019

Craft’s nomination was backed by US Secretary State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, officials said. In 2007, she was appointed by President George W. Bush as a U.S. alternate delegate to the UN, where her focus included U.S. engagement in Africa. Craft, a 56-year-old Kentucky native, is married to billionaire coal-mining executive Joe Craft, an executive for Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., the third-largest coal producer in the eastern United States. They are major Republican donors. Kelly’s nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

Heather Nauert, the acting Spokesperson for the Department of State, was nominated but withdrew her name last week citing family concerns.

Nikki Haley left the post at the end of 2018. Jonathan Cohen, a career diplomat who became Haley’s deputy in June 2018, is currently serving as the acting UN ambassador. Media reports claim that the position of UN Ambassador will be downgraded from the cabinet position it was during Haley’s tenure.

Craft was the focus of left-wing criticism in 2017 when she gave an interview in which she said in an interview with CBC News that when it comes to the scientific consensus on climate change she believes in “both sides of the science.”

“I think both sides have their own results from their studies, and I appreciate and I respect both sides of the science,” she said in the interview.