US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has announced she is resigning – after nearly two years in the post.
President Donald Trump appeared in the Oval Office alongside Mrs. Haley to say she had done “an incredible job”.
The 46-year-old former South Carolina governor – one of the few women in the Trump cabinet – gave no reason for her exit, but dismissed speculation she was planning to run for president in 2020.
Mr. Trump said he would name a replacement in two-three weeks.
He said he would consider the candidature of Dina Powell – his former deputy security council adviser – and added that his daughter Ivanka “would be dynamite” as ambassador, but that he would be accused of nepotism if he chose her.
Hours later, Ivanka ruled herself out of the race.
Mrs. Haley did not give details about her move – or what she would do next.
“It’s been eight years of intense time, and I’m a believer in term limits,” she said referring to her time in public office.
“I don’t have anything set on where I’m going to go,” she said.
Mrs. Haley told journalists she would be campaigning for “this one”, pointing to Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump said Mrs. Haley had told him some time ago she wanted to take some time off.
The president said she “has been very special to me, she has done an incredible job, she is a fantastic person, very importantly, but she is also somebody that gets it”.
“Hopefully you’ll be coming back at some point, right,” Mr. Trump said. “Maybe a different capacity, you can have your pick.” Mrs. Haley laughed.
Mrs. Haley’s resignation comes a day after an anti-corruption watchdog accused her of accepting seven luxury private plane trips as gifts from South Carolina business leaders.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said Mrs. Haley had undervalued the cost of the flights by tens of thousands of dollars in an annual financial disclosure report.
In April, Mrs. Haley clashed with the White House when a Trump aide suggested she had prematurely announced a round of sanctions against Russia.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow suggested she had got “ahead of the curve” and had a “momentary confusion”.
But she fired back hours later telling Fox News: “With all due respect, I don’t get confused.”
Republican lawmakers praised Mrs. Haley on Tuesday after news of her resignation broke.
Retiring Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said: “She challenged friend and foe to be better.”
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said she had been “a true agent of reform” at the UN.
Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called her departure “yet another sign of the Trump Administration’s chaotic foreign policy”.
He added that he is “deeply concerned about the leadership vacuum she leaves and the national security impact of her departure at this time of continued disarray”.
Hurricane Michael: ‘Monstrous’ storm strengthens to category three
Hurricane Michael has strengthened to a category three storm, with winds near 120mph (193km/h) as it churns towards the Florida coast, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.
The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday. Florida Governor Rick Scott has warned residents to evacuate.
Alabama, Florida and Georgia have declared states of emergency in all or parts of the states.
At least 13 people have reportedly died in Central America due to the storm.
Governor Scott called for coastal residents to evacuate, saying: “It could be the difference between life and death.”
Alabama is under a state-wide state of emergency ahead of the hurricane, along with 92 counties in southern Georgia and 35 counties in Florida.
Forecasters say some regions of the US may see 12in (30cm) of rain, and storm surges of up to 12ft (3.6m).
“Strengthening is expected overnight and on Wednesday, and Michael is forecast to be near category four strength when it makes landfall in the Florida Panhandle or the Florida Big Bend area,” the NHC said in its latest bulletin.
“Weakening is expected after landfall as Michael moves across the south-eastern United States,” it added.
The Florida governor called Michael “a monstrous storm” and urged residents to listen to officials.
It is expected to quickly travel up the US East Coast after making landfall on the Gulf Coast.
Heavy rains are forecast for the Carolinas, which were drenched by Hurricane Florence last month.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told residents: “I know people are fatigued from Florence, but don’t let this storm catch you with your guard down.”
