Indian-American Nikki Haley being considered for US Secretary of State

Washington: Indian-American Nikki Haley will meet US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday, the presidential transition team has said amid reports that the two-term Governor of South Carolina is being considered for a Cabinet position, particularly for the high-profile post of Secretary of State.

In a conference call with reporters last night, the transition team’s spokesman Sean Spicer listed 44-year-old Haley as one of the candidates Trump would be meeting on Thursday.

The 70-year-old Trump would also be meeting former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Gen (rtd) Jack Keane, Admiral Mike Rogers and Ken Blackwell among others.

While some of these meetings are about potential cabinet members, others are about sharing ideas and advice.

Earlier in the day, a close aide of Trump from South Carolina said that Haley was being considered for a Cabinet position, including that of the Secretary of State.

“It would be like how Mr Trump is bringing fresh eyes to running our government,” South Carolina Lt Governor Henry McMaster told The Post and Courier. The daily did not provide any other details.

McMaster was one of the earliest ones to have endorsed Trump during the primaries and has been praised by the President-elect several times in the past.

Haley had endorsed Florida Senator Marco Rubio during the primaries and was also critical of Mr. Trump in her Republican response to the State of the Union Address by US President Barack Obama in January.

However, before the general elections, Haley came out in support of Trump, saying that she would be voting for the billionaire tycoon from New York.

The Trump transition team has so far not given any indication of who all will be filling various Cabinet positions. The President-elect himself has tweeted that only he knows the final list.

McMaster, who started speaking with the Trump team soon after their historic victory told the local South Carolina daily that the first women governor of the State, who is also the first Indian-American woman governor, is being considered for various Cabinet position, including the State of State.

Neither the office of the South Carolina Governor nor the Trump transition team have responded to this report so far.

While the news was welcomed in South Carolina, a political analyst appeared to be skeptical of such a proposal.

“Secretary of state is going to be a bit of a stretch for Haley’s area of expertise. Haley has yet to be vetted about foreign policy, trade and protectionism,” said College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart.

Haley is the second Indian-American name being floated for a Cabinet position in the Trump Administration. Former Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal is also appearing in many short lists of potential Cabinet names.