With Nikki Haley stepping down as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations at the end of the year, President Donald Trump is reportedly considering former Michigan Senate candidate and Iraq War veteran John James to fill the post, according to Bloomberg.
Haley surprisingly announced her resignation in early October, possibly to pursue greater income opportunities in the private sector. Trump praised Haley’s service at the time, and said there were “many names” of potential replacements to consider.
Who is John James? James ran for Senate in Michigan, losing 52 percent to 46 percent against Democratic incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
James is a West Point graduate and former Army helicopter pilot who served in Iraq and who now owns a supply chain management business in Detroit called James Group International.
How real are his chances? James could still be just one on the list of names being considered, but Bloomberg reported that James was at the White House last week meeting with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about a potential administration post.
Who else is being considered? According to The Detroit News, Trump is also considering the U.S. ambassadors to France, Germany and Canada to replace Haley.
What else could James do? There is a potential opportunity to run for Michigan’s other Senate seat in 2020, which some will encourage him to do since he outperformed expectations in 2018.
