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Heather Nauert
Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State
Heather Ann Nauert (born January 27, 1970) is an American broadcast journalist and government official serving as Spokesperson for the United States Department of State since 2017.1
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.
Early life
Nauert is a native of Rockford, Illinois.2 Her father, Peter Nauert, was an executive in the insurance industry. She has three brothers: Justin, Jonathan and Joseph.3
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.4
Career
Broadcast journalism
In 1996, Nauert was a reporter for the syndicated weekly 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.5
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.6
In 2007, Nauert returned to Fox News as co-host with John Gibson of the weekday edition of The Big Story7 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.89 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.10
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
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.11 She held her first press briefing in that role five weeks later, on June 6, 2017.12 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.1314 In that role, she oversaw a budget of $1.2 billion and almost a thousand employees.15 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.1617
Nauert voiced opposition to the Iraqi Kurdistan's decision to hold an independence referendum in September 2017.18
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 condemned the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, saying: "We will continue to hold those responsible accountable."21
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.22 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."23
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."2425
United States Ambassador to the United Nations nomination
On December 6, 2018, major news organizations reported that President Trump had picked Nauert to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations.26 Trump told reporters recently that Nauert was "excellent," adding, "She’s been a supporter for a long time."27 On December 7, 2018, President Trump announced that he will nominate her to succeed Nikki Haley as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.28 Upon the announcement of her nomination, news outlets noted that she had risen rapidly through the ranks of the State Department and that she had no foreign policy experience. 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."29 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."30
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 has two sons.
References
| 1 | Scarry, Eddie. Fox News reporter Heather Nauert named State Department spokeswoman, April 24, 2017. LINK |
| 2 | Braun, Georgette. Rockford native appointed State Department spokeswoman, June 6, 2017. LINK |
| 3 | Death Notice: Peter W. Nauert, August 24, 2007. LINK |
| 4 | Farhi, Paul. The New Face Of the Talking Head, May 25, 2000. LINK |
| 5, | Heather Nauert: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, March 6, 2017. LINK |
| 7, | Barmash, Jerry. Heather Nauert and Juliet Huddy Swap Roles at Fox, October 17, 2012. LINK |
| 9 | Kasana, Mehreen. Trump's Admin Appoints Heather Nauert, A Former 'Fox & Friends' Host, As Acting Under Secretary, March 13, 2018. LINK |
| 10, | Heather Nauert once cited D-Day in ‘long history’ of U.S.-German relations. Now she’s headed to the U.N., 2018. LINK |
| 11 | Schwartz, Felicia. Former Fox Anchor Heather Nauert Is New State Department Spokeswoman, April 24, 2017. LINK |
| 12 | Katz, A.J.. Heather Nauert Gives First Briefing as State Department Spokesperson, June 6, 2017. LINK |
| 13 | Da Silva, Chantal. The Trump administration has appointed former Fox News host Heather Nauert to a top State Department job, March 14, 2018, accessed 12 December 2018. LINK |
| 17 | Trump to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next U.N. ambassador, 2018. LINK |
| 18 | (citenews) citenews|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/world/080620172|title=US says it understands 'legitimate aspirations' of people in Iraqi Kurdistan|date=9 June 2017 edit |
| 19 | Trump Administration condemns Houthi missile attack on Riyadh, says supports Saudi Arabia's right to defend borders, April 12, 2018. LINK |
| 20 | U.S. opposes PA going to ICC as counterproductive, counter to peace, May 23, 2018. LINK |
| 21 | Trump Names State Department's Spokesperson Nauert as UN Ambassador, December 7, 2018. LINK |
| 22 | Gambrell, Jon. Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, freezes trade in human rights dispute, August 5, 2018. LINK |
| 23 | 'We don't have a single friend': Canada's Saudi spat reveals country is alone, August 11, 2018. LINK |
| 24 | U.S. Weighs Sanctions Against Chinese Officials Over Muslim Detention Camps, September 10, 2018. LINK |
| 25 | Uyghurs, Legal Experts Dismiss Chinese Legal Move to Justify Re-education Camps, 11 October 2018. LINK |
| 26 | Hudson, John. Trump to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next U.N. ambassador, December 6, 2018. LINK |
| 27 | Lucey, Catherine et al. Trump expected to pick State spokeswoman for UN ambassador, December 6, 2018. LINK |
| 28 | Chalfant, Morgan. Trump to nominate Nauert as United Nations ambassador, December 7, 2018. LINK |
| 29 | Orr, Gabby. The campaign to confirm a diplomatic novice to America’s top U.N. post, at POLITICO. LINK |