File Photo: U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert addresses a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, Aug. 15, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he will nominate State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding outgoing Nikki Haley.

"Heather Nauert will be nominated for the ambassador to the United Nations," Trump told reporters on Friday morning before departing the White House for a conference in the state of Missouri.

Trump praised Nauert as a "very talented, very smart, very quick" person, working well with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Nauert, a 48-year-old former Fox News presenter, assumed her current post in April 2017. She was reportedly a "leading contender" for the ambassadorship after Haley publicly announced her resignation in October.

Picking Nauert, an Illinois native, to represent the United States at the international arena is seen as an unorthodox choice by Trump, as the veteran news presenter had little political or foreign policy-making experience before joining the State Department.

Following the nomination, Nauert will probably face a tough Senate confirmation hearing focused on her qualification.

Nauert has reportedly gained the trust of Pompeo, although reporters covering the State Department complained about the falling frequency of the press briefings under Nauert.

Haley's resignation announcement nearly two months ago came as a surprise to many high-level administration officials. Haley, who took the job days after Trump's inauguration in January 2017, said she will remain in the post till the end of this year.