Trump says 'no one more competent in the world' than daughter Ivanka to replace Nikki Haley as UN ambassador
There is no-one more qualified “in the world” to become the next US ambassador to the United Nations than Ivanka Trump, her father Donald has claimed.
Speaking to the media on the White House lawn, the US president described his second child as "dynamite".
He told reporters that he has heard the 36-year-old's name discussed for the post, but said if he selected her he'd be accused of nepotism.
The position became available after Nikki Haley announced she would be resigning from the role and will be leaving the administration by the end of 2018.
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Mr Trump, who referred to Ms Haley as a "very special" person during a media appearance in the Oval Office, said he had known for six months that she may want to take time off from the role to spend time with her family.
She in turn paid tributes to Ivanka and her husband Jared, who are both presidential advisers.
"I can't say enough good things about Jared and Ivanka," she said. "Jared is such a hidden genius that no one understands. Ivanka has just been a great friend. They do a lot of things behind the scenes that I wish more people knew about because we are a better country because they're in the administration."
While discussing potential replacements, the president acknowledged he'd be "accused of nepotism" if he selected his daughter for the role.
But he was nevertheless enthusiastic about her potential suitability for the position, saying: "I’ve heard Ivanka, how good would Ivanka be?
"It has nothing to do with nepotism but people who know know that Ivanka would be dynamite. I’d be accused of nepotism even if there’s no one more competent in the world."
An attempt to place Ivanka in the role could spell more drama on Capitol Hill after weeks of wrangling over the new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh - as the cabinet-level position needs approval from the Senate.
Ms Haley, a former governor, had her nomination approved 96-4.
Following her resignation, the president discussed the possibility of Ms Haley "hopefully" returning to the Trump administration "in a different capacity."
