Donald Trump picks South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to be US ambassador to UN: Report

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Washington: President-elect Donald Trump has picked South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to be the US ambassador to the United Nations, PTI reported a CNN source as saying on Wednesday.

An official Trump transition announcement is expected later Wednesday, the report said.

If chosen, Haley, 44, would be the first woman and minority to join Trump's administration.

She would also be the first ever Indian-American Cabinet-rank official in any administration.

The Cabinet position would require confirmation by the Senate.

Haley had met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday.

"It was a good meeting. We talked about a multiple group of topics and it was nice meeting," she had told reporters on Monday, as per PTI.

Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, was a vocal critic of the real estate mogul on the campaign trail. She later voted for Trump, lamenting that she was 'not a fan' of either candidate.

Born Nimrata 'Nikki' Randhawa, Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a long history of racial strife.

As the youngest Governor in the US and only the second Indian-American to serve at the helm of a US state, she has been characterised as a rising star within the Republican Party.

(With Agency inputs)