State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert is under fire from reporters and other critics after posting a photo of herself smiling outside a Saudi government complex in Riyadh. Nauert took the photo while visiting Saudi Arabia to discuss the disappearance of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this month. Some interpreted Nauert's photo — along with President Donald Trump's defense of the Saudis — as evidence that the US is trivializing the Saudi government's disregard for human rights. Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman who doubles as one of the US's highest-ranking diplomats, came under fire after posting a photo of herself on Wednesday smiling outside a Saudi Arabian government complex during a visit to Riyadh to discuss the alleged torture and killing of a US resident and Saudi dissident. Nauert, also the acting under-secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, accompanied Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a trip to Turkey and Saudi Arabia this week to meet with the country's leaders to discuss journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance. The Saudis have denied involvement in his disappearance, while President Donald Trump has defended the country as an "important ally." Some journalists and former government officials pointed to the photo Nauert posted of herself on her personal, public Instagram account as yet more evidence of the Trump administration's callous response to the Saudi government's human rights violations. "If I were the State Department's spokesperson, on an official trip to learn more about the dark, dubious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a U.S. resident, I probably would have skipped the tourist-in-Riyadh photos. But that's just me," tweeted David Gura, an MSNBC and NBC correspondent. #SaudiArabia at The Royal Court A post shared by Heather Nauert (@heathernauert) on Oct 16, 2018 at 8:04pm PDT Oct 16, 2018 at 8:04pm PDT "This is not a good look," tweeted BuzzFeed national security correspondent Vera Bergengruen of the photo. Nauert, a former Fox News host who did not have foreign policy experience when she joined the State Department last year, is reportedly on the president's lists to replace outgoing US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. It comes amid growing evidence — including audio recordings released by the Turkish media — that a delegation of Saudi officials tortured, killed, and dismembered Khashoggi with a bone saw. Trump has resisted intensifying calls to condemn the regime and instead defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the charges and emphasized that Khashoggi — a Virginia resident — isn't a US citizen. "Here we go again with you're guilty until proven innocent," Trump told The Associates Press on Tuesday. Pompeo was also photographed smiling and shaking hands with Prince Salman and told reporters that the Saudis had repeated their denials of any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, issuing a statement saying the regime had promised to conduct a "thorough, transparent, and timely investigation" into the matter. Trump has stressed the importance of the US's financial ties with Saudi Arabia, calling the Middle Eastern nation an "important ally," while citing tens of billions of dollars in US-Saudi arms deals. (Other US presidents, including Barack Obama, have also continued arms sales to governments with poor records on human rights). Walter Shaub, the former head of the US Office of Government Ethics, said Nauert's photo is part of a broader set of problematic optics the administration is employing to send a message to Saudi leaders. On Tuesday, in a move seen by experts as an attempt to placate Trump, the Saudi government followed through on its promise to contribute $100 million to US relief efforts in Syria, The New York Times reported. Some Republican members of Congress have spoken out on the issue, putting pressure on Trump to punish Saudi leaders for their alleged crime. Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican, said this week that the president should consider canceling some arms deals, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, said Tuesday that the crown prince "has got to go" and called on Trump to "sanction the hell out of" the Saudi government.<doc-sep>President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE is considering replacing outgoing United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley Nikki HaleyCoalition of human rights groups calling for boycott of Beijing Olympics Trump critics push new direction for GOP Pollster Frank Luntz: 'I would bet on' Trump being 2024 GOP nominee MORE with State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, according to Politico. Politico, citing three people close to Trump, reported that Nauert is among a pool of candidates that include the president's envoys to Canada, France, and Germany: Kelly Knight Craft, Jamie McCourt, and Richard Grenell, respectively. ADVERTISEMENT Haley resigned last week resigned as U.S. ambassador to the UN in what came as a surprising departure. The president said at the time he intended to name a replacement for Haley within two to three weeks. Dina Powell, Trump’s former deputy national security adviser who left the administration at the beginning of the year, was also among those that some in Washington speculated Trump would consider for the job. The potential appointment of Nauert, who is a former Fox News anchor, has "Fox News staffers buzzing," Politico also reported, citing a former executive. According to Politico, White House officials are satisfied with how Naeurt has defended Trump's policies during her time as the State Department spokeswoman.<doc-sep>
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert’s addition to the list underscores the extent to which TV chops are a key to success in the Trump administration. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo White House State Department spokeswoman Nauert in the mix for U.N. ambassador Outgoing United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley made clear her value as an advocate for the administration on television—and the White House is looking for somebody telegenic to replace her. Among the candidates President Donald Trump is considering, according to three people close to the president: former Fox News host Heather Nauert, who currently serves as the State Department’s spokeswoman and acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. At Foggy Bottom, Nauert has grown close to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with whom she was traveling in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. White House aides view her as a capable advocate for the Trump administration’s foreign policy. She is also a leading candidate to replace White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders when she leaves the White House, though that job may be less appealing given that the frequency of on-camera press briefings has vastly diminished over the last two months. Neither Nauert nor the White House replied to a request for comment. But White House officials stressed that the process for selecting Haley’s replacement is still in the early stages and that the pool of candidates, which includes ambassadors Kelly Knight Craft, Jamie McCourt, and Ric Grenell — Trump’s envoys to Canada, France, and Germany, respectively — will likely change before the president makes a final selection. Nauert’s addition to the list, which has Fox News staffers buzzing, according to a former executive, underscores the extent to which TV chops are a key to success in an administration where the commander-in-chief is a 24-7 viewer. Nauert did not have foreign policy credentials before joining the State Department early last year. But Trump officials believe she has capably explained and defended Trump policies in her State Department briefings, although they have been less frequent than those of her predecessors. U.N. ambassadors typically work under little day-to-day scrutiny but are often called upon to give speeches or make television appearances on behalf of a president’s foreign policy. That is not to say the job is all cosmetic: Haley helped to win tougher sanctions on North Korea last year that Trump has called essential to pressuring Kim Jong Un into dialogue over his nuclear program. If she has tapped for the job, Nauert, who is now based in Washington, D.C., would have to relocate to New York City, where United Nations headquarters are located. “Her husband and kids are in NYC, FYI,” said a senior administration official. Gabriella Orr and Daniel Lippman contributed to reporting.