Trump’s pick for ambassador to Canada to push for even stronger ties

OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to Canada says she will work hard to maintain — and improve — the strong relationship between both countries during her time in Ottawa.
Kelly Knight Craft is undergoing her Senate confirmation hearing today, where she says she will push for even stronger ties between Canada and the U.S., including when it comes to free trade, energy, the environment and the military alliance.
The Trump administration wants to have its ambassador in Canada quickly, since negotiations for the new NAFTA are set to begin next month.
Knight Craft, who is from Kentucky, is a well-connected political donor and philanthropist who is married to a prominent coal magnate.
She is testifying before the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee alongside Trump’s nominees for ambassador to NATO and the United Kingdom.
The U.S. ambassador post in Canada has been vacant since former envoy Bruce Heyman stepped down after Trump’s election.