Carson, Haley and DeVos

Dr. Ben Carson will consider Trump’s offer to include him in the Cabinet and announce his decision in a few days.

Trump picks charter school advocate Betsy DeVos for education secretary, 11/23/16

President-elect Donald Trump selected a charter school advocate and GOP donor from Michigan on Wednesday to be education secretary.

Betsy DeVos becomes the second woman chosen to fill a spot in Trump's Cabinet. Earlier Wednesday, Trump named South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations earlier in the day. Both Cabinet-level positions require Senate confirmation. While some initially cheered Haley's selection, despite her limited experience on the international stage,

The DeVos choice faced criticism even before it was formally announced Wednesday. Conservatives warned that DeVos, a longtime Republican donor, previously supported the Common Core education standards that Trump railed against during the campaign.

Trump, who was at his Palm Beach estate Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday, called DeVos "a brilliant and passionate education advocate."

DeVos, from Michigan, is a longtime advocate for charter schools and school vouchers. She currently leads the advocacy group, American Federation for Children, and sits on the board of the Jeb Bush-led Foundation for Excellence in Education.

"Under her leadership we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families," Trump said. DeVos said in her own statement, "The status quo in education is not acceptable."

The DeVos family has been active in Republican politics for decades, especially as donors to GOP candidates and the Republican Party. DeVos' husband, Dick, is an heir to the Amway fortune and a former president of the company. The couple gave $22.5 million to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington in 2010, at the time the largest private donation in the center's history. Hours before the DeVos pick was announced, conservative policy leader Frank Cannon, president of American Principles Project, called her "an establishment, pro-Common Core secretary of education."

"This would not qualify as 'draining the swamp,'" Cannon said, referencing Trump's campaign trail slogan. "And it seems to fly in the face of what Trump has stated on education policy up to this point."

In a statement to Fox News, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said DeVos "has no meaningful experience in the classroom or in our schools."

“The president-elect, in his selection of Betsy DeVos, has chosen the most ideological, anti-public education nominee put forward since President Carter created a Cabinet-level Department of Education," Weingarten said. “In nominating DeVos, Trump makes it loud and clear that his education policy will focus on privatizing, defunding and destroying public education in America."

Former presidential contender and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush called DeVos "an outstanding pick" for the position.“She has a long and distinguished history championing the right of all parents to choose schools that best ensure their children’s success," he said in a statement.

When asked about DeVos' support for the Common Core standards, Trump spokesman Jason Miller said "the president-elect has been consistent and very clear in his opposition to Common Core."

"Anybody joining the administration is signing on to the president-elect's platform and vision for moving America forward," Miller said.

There was less immediate opposition to Haley's selection.

Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, is the only minority member chosen by Trump so far. Retired neurosurgeon and Trump loyalist, Ben Carson, an African-American, has been offered the job of secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to a person familiar with the offer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the deliberations publicly.

Carson has not yet accepted the offer, but he tweeted on Wednesday that "an announcement is forthcoming about my role in helping to make America great again."

Trump said that Haley, his UN choice, "has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country."

"She is also a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals," he said in a statement. "She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage."

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham praised his home-state governor as a good choice and said in a statement that he looks forward to working with her on "overdue reforms of the United Nations." Graham is chairman of the Senate's Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations, which is responsible for funding the UN and all American foreign assistance.

Haley said she accepted the assignment partly out of "a sense of duty." "When the president believes you have a major contribution to make to the welfare of our nation, and to our nation's standing in the world, that is a calling that is important to heed," she said in a statement.

Not all presidents have treated the ambassadorship to the U.N. as a Cabinet-level position, and Republicans have tended not to grant that status. Trump spokesman Jason Miller said Trump is "spending significant time" weighing his choice for secretary of state. Among those he has interviewed is 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who repeatedly denounced Trump during the 2016 campaign. After secretary of state, the UN ambassador is the highest-profile diplomatic position, often serving as the voice for U.S. positions on the international stage. As part of the Cabinet, Haley would have more opportunity to shape U.S. policies, rather than simply defend the administration's positions.

Yet it could be an awkward role at times. Trump campaigned on the theme of "America first" and said he is skeptical about "international unions that tie us up and bring America down." Trump has also described the United Nations as weak and incompetent.

Haley would be the third consecutive female U.S. ambassador to the UN, after Susan Rice and Samantha Power, the current ambassador.

Bad blood between Trump and Haley was evident through much of the campaign. "The people of South Carolina are embarrassed by Nikki Haley!" Trump wrote on Twitter in March. Haley denounced several of Trump's campaign comments and urged voters to "reject the siren call of the angriest voices."

DeVos, too, was slow to warm to Trump. She told The Associated Press in July, "A lot of the things he has said are very off-putting and concerning." The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/23/charter-school-advocate-betsy-devos-picked-for-education-job.html

Trump chooses South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as UN ambassador, 11/23/16,  FoxNews.com

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday chose South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to be his selection as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Haley was an outspoken Trump critic throughout much of his campaign, yet she's now poised to be the first female Cabinet-level official in the Trump administration. Haley still needs Senate confirmation to take the post.

"Governor Haley has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country," Trump said in a statement. "She is also a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals. She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage."

A Trump spokesperson said Wednesday that Trump and Haley had "natural chemistry" when they met on Thursday and her selection as UN ambassador was an easy choice.

Born in South Carolina and of Indian descent, Haley is the third Asian-American to serve as U.S. governor, following ex-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and ex-Washington Gov. Gary Locke. 

"Our country faces enormous challenges here at home and internationally, and I am honored that the President-elect has asked me to join his team and serve the country we love as the next Ambassador to the United Nations," Haley said.

Haley drew praise for her handling of the aftermath of the Emanuel AME Church mass shooting in Charleston, which stirred racial tensions after nine black parishioners were gunned down by an accused white shooter who allegedly wanted to start a race war. She also presided over the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina state house grounds.

In January, Haley, who was beginning to earn buzz as a possible vice presidential pick, delivered the Republican response to President Obama's final State of the Union address. Parts of her speech, however, were viewed as a rebuke not only of Obama, but also of Trump.

"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices," Haley said. "We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country."

Early in the Republican primary, Haley campaigned for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio before going on to support Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Though she never appeared to totally warm to the eventual GOP nominee, she did say she would vote for Trump.

"This is no longer a choice for me on personalities because I’m not a fan of either one," Haley said in October. "What it is about is policy." Haley, 44, met with Trump on Thursday and said they had a “very nice” conversation. The following day, during a speech to the Federalist Society's National Lawyer's Association, Haley talked about Trump's unusual path to the presidency. "President-elect Trump deserves tremendous credit for the way he was able to connect with the electorate, but he did not do it by celebrating the Republican Party," she said. "And the American people did not vote for him because he had an 'R' next to his name."

She was generally endorsed for a spot on Trump's team by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, himself a frequent Republican critic of Trump. "She’s done a good job as governor of South Carolina," Graham told the News & Observer. "She’s talented, capable and would do a good job in any assignment given to her." Her new job clears the way for Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster to step into the role of South Carolina governor. McMaster was an early Trump endorser, backing him before the state's GOP primary in February.

The potential addition of Haley to Trump's team highlights a series of diverse candidates that Trump has considered for various cabinet spots. Dr. Ben Carson said he had been offered the position of Housing and Urban Development secretary and Trump has also met with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hi. Gabbard and former diplomat Ric Grenell had been rumored to be among the candidates for the UN ambassador job.

A Trump spokesperson said at least one other cabinet position could be announced later Wednesday. Though no specific names or departments were mentioned, former Gov. and presidential nominee Mitt Romney is being considered for Secretary of State and retired Gen. James Mattis is in contention for Secretary of Defense. Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Dr. Ben Carson and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach are among other high profile figures who've met with Trump recently.

Fox News’ Nick Kalman and Meghan Welsh and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/23/trump-chooses-south-carolina-gov-nikki-haley-as-un-ambassador.html