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Trump Taps Fox News Contributor as New State Department Spox

Morgan Ortagus selected to replace Heather Nauert

Morgan Ortagus
Morgan Ortagus / Getty Images
March 28, 2019

The Trump administration has selected Fox News contributor Morgan Ortagus as the State Department's new spokesperson, sources confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon.

Ortagus would replace Heather Nauert, also a former Fox News personality, who stepped down from the post earlier this year.

Ortagus, a onetime U.S. Naval Reserve officer, was selected to replace Nauert on Thursday, NBC News reporter Josh Lederman was first to report on Thursday. Sources familiar with the matter later confirmed the reports to the Free Beacon.

A Fox News spokesperson also confirmed that Ortagus is no longer a contributor.

"Ortagus, a U.S. Naval Reserve officer, would bring significant experience in national security and foreign policy to the role. She will replace Heather Nauert, a former Fox News anchor who had been announced as President Trump's pick for new U.N. ambassador but later withdrew herself from consideration," NBC reported.

Ortagus worked in the Obama administration's Treasury Department as an intelligence analyst during his first term in office and later as a deputy U.S. attaché to Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, "Ortagus previously served as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development, an independent agency which takes direction from the State Department, according to a biography posted on the website of her consulting firm, GO Advisors. Her work included time in Iraq," NBC reported.

A State Department spokesman told the Free Beacon it has no formal announcement yet on the position.

"We have no personnel announcements at this time," the official said.

Nauert had stepped down from her post in earlier this year following an announcement that she would be nominated as the Trump administration's next ambassador to the United Nations. However, her nomination was never submitted to Congress and she later withdrew her name from the running.

Published under: State Department