South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has been named as the new US ambassador to the UN. 

She becomes the first non-white female cabinet-level official to be appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump. Haley, who is daughter of Indian immigrants, was one of Trump's most vocal critics during the campaigns.

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"Governor Haley has a proven track record of bringing people together regardless of background or party affiliation to move critical policies forward for the betterment of her state and our country," Trump said in a press release.

Trump added that Haley is a proven deal maker and that his administration is looking forward to making a lot of deals.

"She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage," Trump added.

In a statement, Haley said she was "moved" to accept the appointment. She had put her weight behind Florida Governor Marco Rubio and then Texas Senator Ted Cruz during the Republican primaries.

She eventually voted for Trump in the elections, although she did admit that she was not a fan of either him or his democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

 Haley has been vocal in her opposition to Trump's proposal to ban Muslim immigrants, terming it "un-American." She was also opposed to his decision not to release his tax records.

On his part, Trump had accused her of being "very weak on illegal immigration," saying that she had made South Carolinas feel "embarrassed."

She has very little experience in foreign policy, although she is reported to have taken at least eight trips abroad since becoming governor mostly on the hunt for economic deals for her state.

She made history by becoming the first minority governor of South Carolina, a feat that was made more impressive by the fact that the state is deeply conservative and has a long history of racial tensions.

In 2015, she received acclamation from both sides of the political divide when she ordered the confederate flag to be removed from the state capitol grounds.

The 44-year-old is also the youngest governor in the United States.

Tagsdonald trump, US, United Nations, niki hailey