Trump picks former Democrat to fill role as deputy UN ambassador

US President Trump said he is nominating the current State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, as the next deputy representative to the United Nations.

"Since the beginning of my Second Term, Tammy has been serving with distinction as Spokesperson of the State Department, where she did a fantastic job," Trump wrote on August 9 via Truth Social, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

If confirmed by the Senate, the president made clear that Bruce will hold the rank of ambassador. 

The announcement comes amid former national security adviser Mike Waltz facing a hard time in his quest to become the US ambassador to the UN. As an article by CNBC notes, his confirmation has been stalled since he began testifying last month about foreign policy plans in front of the Senate. 

Waltz has had to face scrutiny by senators over “Signalgate” — a March incident in which a journalist was mistakenly added to a secure Signal chat discussing an imminent strike on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The chat, which Waltz convened, included top officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The UN ambassador post — the last of Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed — has been vacant since the start of his second term. He initially nominated New York Rep Elise Stefanik to serve as the US ambassador, but had to withdraw his choice over concerns of losing the Republican majority of the House of Representatives. 

If both are approved, Bruce would serve under Waltz and fill in when he is absent.

Before joining the administration, Bruce was a Fox News contributor and host of “Get Tammy Bruce” on its streaming service. A longtime Democrat and liberal activist before joining the network, she later embraced conservative politics and became a supporter of Trump’s MAGA movement.

By Nazrin Sadigova