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Trump Nominates Climate Change Denying Major GOP Donor Kelly Craft as United Nations Ambassador
Another post where we lament that Trump told us 'only the best' would be in his administration. In fact, it's the opposite and some of the absolutely worst people, now including the nominee to the United Nations who bought her way into consideration.
Trump has selected a new nominee for United Nations ambassador, a week after his original pick, Heather Nauert, withdrew her name from consideration. Trump announced on Twitter Friday night that he planned to nominate Kelly Craft, who’s served as the US ambassador to Canada since September 2017. If confirmed, Craft will replace Nikki Haley, who left the post at the end of 2018 [in disgrace] after nearly two years on the job.
Craft was unanimously confirmed by voice vote as US Ambassador to Canada in August 2017, but her nomination to UN ambassador will probably be a bit more contentious.
Craft and her very, very wealthy husband paid their way into the Canadian ambassador position and now the United Nationals potentially. THIS IS THE SWAMP.
....a wealthy Republican donor with family ties to the coal industry....she likely got her posting as US ambassador because she’s a major donor, both to GOP causes and to the president himself. Craft has long been a major donor to Republican candidates; in 2016 she donated more than $260,000 to Trump’s campaign.
Kentucky-based Craft is well known among Republicans, to whom she has donated piles of money. In two donations last year, she gave a total of US$265,400 to Trump’s campaign, and in July, she gave almost US$17,000 to the Republican National Committee. Additionally, she made dozens of contributions in 2016 to Republican funds and candidates across the country. Not one of those donations was less than four figures.
Records compiled by the U.S. Center for Responsive Politics show a multi-million-dollar history of political donations — her husband’s business gave $2 million to Karl Rove’s American Crossroads Super PAC in 2010, $250,000 in 2014, and $500,000 each to other Super PACs.
Her husband is coal billionaire Joe Craft, who’s been called the most powerful non-elected person in Kentucky. He is the president and CEO of Alliance Resource Partners LP, which is among the largest coal producers in the eastern U.S.
Craft was a fierce critic of the Obama administration’s climate policies, getting his SUV’s licence plate stamped with the slogan, “Friends of Coal.”
It’s not uncommon for presidents to appoint donors and other supporters to cushy ambassadorship gigs. But the high-profile UN ambassadorship tends to be a job for experienced statesmen or those with deep foreign policy or diplomatic credentials.
Craft, the nominee for UN Ambassador discussing the "good sciences" on "both sides" of climate change. Wow.
Craft got herself into a bit of trouble at the start of her time in Canada over comments she made about climate change, in which she said there were “good scientists on both sides” of the climate debate
There is no bigger issue at the UN than climate change. This pick once again makes us a dangerous joke in the eyes of the world.
Craft's diplomatic experience is limited.... Her main political experience -- aside from bankrolling GOP candidates -- seems to be as an advocate for Kentucky horse racing and basketball.
Sources:
https://www.vox.com/2019/2/23/18236884/kelly-craft-un-ambassador-canada-trump
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/02/us/scott-pruitt-coal-joseph-craft.html