Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell is said to be one of President Trump’s top candidates to replace Nikki Haley as ambassador to the UN when Haley leaves her post at the end of the year. However, according to a Bloomberg report, Powell is leaning toward staying at Goldman Sachs, where she serves on the bank’s 32-member advisory committee. Trump has reportedly called Powell about the job twice, once before Haley announced her resignation and again on Wednesday after their joint goodbye press conference. And although several Goldman execs who reportedly spoke with BBG for its story said they believe Powell would ultimately take the job if offered, others are aggressively pushing for her to stay.
“Dina is certainly a person I would consider and she’s under consideration,” said Trump, who has said he’s considering five people for the job, including Powell. Politico reported on Wednesday that Powell is the ‘top candidate’ for the job.
But Goldman CEO David Solomon made clear that he hopes Powell will remain at Goldman (presumably because the bank needs someone on the inside with strong connections inside the administration, particularly after the controversy surrounding Gary Cohn’s departure). However, if Powell did take the job, she would likely represent a revival of the ‘globalist’ wing of the Trump administration that appeared to lose out to the Bannonites after the Cohn’s departure.
At the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit this week, moderator Katie Couric asked Chief Executive Officer David Solomon if Powell would be a good choice to replace Haley.
“I think Dina Powell is a great choice to be a partner at Goldman Sachs,” Solomon answered. Solomon said he would like her to stay at the company, where she’s a member of its 32-person management committee.
Powell served as deputy national security adviser for strategy until the end of last year, when she left the administration to return to Goldman Sachs, where she had been a partner and the firm’s global head of impact investing. Before that, Powell worked in the Bush White House.
Other leading candidates for the UN ambassador job include Richard Grenell, US ambassador to Germany, and Kelly Craft, ambassador to Canada. And while Trump has said that he’d prefer to keep Grenell in Germany, Craft made a surprise appearance at the White House on Thursday, where she was photographed standing in the back of the Roosevelt Room while Trump signed a bill updating music copyright law.
Whether it’s Powell or Craft, it appears the president would like Haley’s replacement to be a female.
The post “Not Interested” – Dina Powell Won’t Replace Nikki Haley As UN Ambassador; Will Remain At Goldman: BBG appeared first on crude-oil.news.