Kelly Craft
Official portrait, 2019
30th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office
September 12, 2019 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyRichard M. Mills Jr.
Preceded byNikki Haley
Succeeded byLinda Thomas-Greenfield
31st United States Ambassador to Canada
In office
October 23, 2017 – August 23, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyRichard M. Mills Jr.
Preceded byBruce Heyman
Succeeded byDavid L. Cohen
Personal details
Born
Kelly Dawn Guilfoil

(1962-02-24) February 24, 1962
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
David Moross
​
​
(m. 1986, divorced)​
[1]
    Judson Knight
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1992, divorced)​
      ​
      (m. 2016)​
      Children2 daughters
      EducationUniversity of Kentucky (BA)

      Kelly Dawn Craft (née Guilfoil; born February 24, 1962)[2] is an American businesswoman, politician, and former diplomat who served as the 30th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. She was confirmed as the US ambassador to the United Nations by the US Senate by a vote of 56–34, and was officially sworn in September 2019.

      She previously served as the 31st United States Ambassador to Canada from 2017 to 2019, the first woman to hold the office. Craft earlier was appointed by President George W. Bush as a U.S. alternate delegate to the United Nations in 2007, where her focus included U.S. engagement in Africa.

      Craft heads Kelly G. Knight LLC, a business advisory firm based in Lexington, Kentucky, and serves on the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council. She ran in the Republican primary for the 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election, but lost to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

      Early life and education

      Craft was born in Lexington, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Bobby Guilfoil and Sherry Dale Guilfoil, who both died in 2011.[3][4] She grew up just outside Glasgow, a small town in rural central Kentucky.[5][6][7][8]

      Her father was the town veterinarian in Glasgow, and he farmed and raised cows and horses.[7][8] He was active in the Democratic Party, and in his later years served as chairman of the Barren County, Kentucky Democratic Party.[2][8][7] He was also a deacon of the First Christian Church in Glasgow, and served on the local board of health.[7][8] Her mother was a home economics teacher at Glasgow High School, a public high school.[8] Her mother sewed the family's clothing, and the house's draperies.[8] She has a younger sister, Micah Guilfoil Payne (a lawyer in Glasgow), and a younger brother, Marc Guilfoil (executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission).[9][8][7]

      She grew up in a middle-class family.[8] Craft played clarinet in the high school band at Glasgow High School, and graduated in 1980.[10][11][7]

      Craft then created her own interdisciplinary major, with an emphasis on international law, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.[12] She graduated with a B.A. in 1984.[7]

      Consulting firm

      In 2004, Craft started a marketing, strategic management, leadership advice, and business consulting firm, Kelly G. Knight, LLC.[6][7][13][14] Its principal office is in Lexington.[15][16] She also serves on the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council.[17]

      Political involvement and donations; philanthropy

      Craft was initially active in local politics and civic causes, such as helping the poor, and raising funds for the arts.[7] She has been a generous donor to and supporter of primarily Republican political candidates.[18] In 2004, Craft was a prominent supporter of President George W. Bush's reelection campaign, and co-chaired the Republican National Finance Committee.[19][9] In 2012 she was the Kentucky finance committee chairwoman for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.[20] She also raised money for then-governor Ernie Fletcher, and congressmen Hal Rogers and Ron Lewis.[7]

      She is also an influencer in Kentuckian affairs.[9] The Crafts supported then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.[21] Craft has also supported both Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and former Kentucky Governor, Republican Matt Bevin.[8]

      She was a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Kentucky.[22] That year, Craft and her husband Joe Craft donated millions of dollars to candidates for the 2016 Republican nomination for president.[23] The couple initially supported Marco Rubio, but in June 2016 moved their support to Donald Trump and contributed more than $2 million to his campaign, in part because he agreed with them in private that he would not replace House Speaker Paul Ryan or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whom they supported.[9] Political commentator Scott Jennings said that their support gave Trump instant credibility.[9]

      Separate from politics, Craft has been a philanthropist, and the couple has donated to philanthropic causes.[24][7][25] In 2015 they co-founded the Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics at Kentucky's Morehead State University, a special program for academically exceptional high school students.[7] By 2019 they had committed over $10 million to the academy.[26] They have also donated substantial sums to the University of Kentucky.[27]

      Craft served on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees for a term beginning in August 2016, but resigned to accept the US ambassadorship to Canada a year later.[28][29][30] She has also served on the boards of directors of the Salvation Army, the Lexington Philharmonic, the United Way of the Bluegrass, the YMCA of Central Kentucky, the Kentucky Arts Council, and the Center for Rural Development (a nonprofit dedicated to economic development in rural Kentucky).[12][31]

      US Alternate Delegate to the United Nations

      President George W. Bush appointed Craft an alternate delegate to the United Nations in 2007, for the 62nd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.[9][32] On October 24, 2007, Senator Joe Biden reported favorably on her nomination on behalf of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.[32] On October 26, she was confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote.[32]

      As part of the US delegation, her responsibilities included advising the US Ambassador to the UN on US engagement in Africa.[29][22][10] She also gave a speech to the UN General Assembly on the investment the US and other nations were making to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa and malaria in Africa, and promote development there.[12][20] She later said: "President Bush’s example and his initiative to cure AIDS on the African continent instilled in me the value of using diplomatic positions to help the less fortunate. And that’s what I am going to do."[5]

      US Ambassador to Canada

      Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets US Ambassador Craft in 2019.

      On June 15, 2017, Craft was nominated by President Donald Trump to become the US ambassador to Canada, with the support of Senator Mitch McConnell.[21][33][34] She was confirmed by the United States Senate by unanimous voice vote on August 3, and assumed office on October 23.[33][35][36]

      Craft became the 31st United States Ambassador to Canada.[7][37] She also became the first woman to hold the job.[7] In her first week as ambassador to Canada, Craft said in an interview with CBC News that when it came to climate change she appreciated all of the scientific evidence, and thought that "both sides have their own results, from their studies, and I appreciate and I respect both sides of the science".[38][39] She played a leadership role in trade negotiations between the US and Canada, resulting in the signing of a major new free trade agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico (the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement; USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).[19]<[40] Her work in hammering out the tri-lateral agreement raised her stock with the Trump administration.[41] In addition during her tenure the relationship between the countries was the subject of controversial steel tariffs, and critical comments by Trump about the Canadian prime minister.[20][42] In June 2018, as US-Canadian relations grew testy, an envelope was mailed to her containing a suspicious white powder and a death threat.[7] Canadian columnist L. Ian MacDonald wrote: "[Craft] has been diligent and warm in her representational role. She's perhaps one of a few members of Trump's team who is genuinely blameless in this mess."[43]

      According to a June 2019 report in Politico, Craft was frequently away from her Ottawa post during her tenure as ambassador, though the report acknowledged that US State Department officials said that many of her trips were related to the new North American trade agreement.[21] During a 15-month period, she took 128 flights between Ottawa and the United States, equal to a round trip per week.[21] Seventy had Lexington as the origin or destination, which raised questions to some as to whether the trips were for personal reasons.[21] A State Department spokesperson explained, however, that all of Craft's personal and official travel "to and from the United States, including numerous trips associated with USMCA [US-Canada-Mexico trade deal] negotiations, were pre-approved by the State Department and complied with all Department travel guidelines," that the number of her personal absences did not exceed State Department limits, and in addition that Craft chose to cover all her travel expenses from her personal funds, "saving the U.S. government substantial money".[44] Separately, a US official said that Craft was often in Washington for trade negotiations in which she was directly involved, that she would also fly to other places in the United States to promote the trade deal which was one of the president's top priorities, and also explained that Craft would during the course of these travels sometimes spend the weekend at her Kentucky home rather than return to Ottawa, which did not count toward the "26 [work] days" away from her post limitation.[44] Per State Department rules, an ambassador may only spend 26 "work days" away from a post without first obtaining special State Department approval, and she testified that each of her trips was in fact made with State Department approval.[21][45] The State Department and Craft do not provide records of Craft's schedule and the number of days she was in Ottawa,[21] but the newspaper said she spent 300 days (more than half her term) away from her Ottawa post.[46] Craft herself likewise insisted that all of her trips were taken in accordance with US State Department regulations, and with State Department approval, with much of the time spent negotiating the trade deal with Canada and Mexico in Washington, D.C.[46][45] She also pledged to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to deliver to it all of her travel records for her time as U.S. ambassador to Canada.[45] Senator Marco Rubio commented: "I have a sneaking suspicion that having you here (for trade talks) or having you attend a cocktail party at some embassy, we would prefer you would prioritize the trade deal."[45]

      Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Craft for what he said was her "dedication to building on the strong relationship between our two countries," and her help in "securing a new North American trade deal that increases the prosperity of both Canada and the United States".[45] Former Canadian Ambassador to the United States Frank McKenna said that Craft brought "charm and grace and listening skills" to the ambassadorship, and did "the job very well when at the top, the relationship is as bad as it’s ever been".[47] Ontario Premier Doug Ford gave her tenure a positive review, saying "Every premier I know thinks the world of her. She really proved herself over some tough times."[47]

      US Ambassador to the United Nations

      Kelly Craft presents credentials to Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres in 2019

      On February 22, 2019, Trump announced his intention to nominate Craft to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Nikki Haley, who had resigned two months prior,[48] after his first replacement choice, Heather Nauert, withdrew herself from consideration.[49] US National Security Advisor John Bolton and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both agreed that Craft was qualified and the most logical choice to replace Haley, and Mitch McConnell supported her for the ambassadorship as well.[19][50] Pompeo said she "has been an outstanding advocate for America's national security and economic interests in Canada and she is extremely well-qualified to do the same at the United Nations".[51] On May 2, 2019, Trump formally sent Craft's nomination to the United States Senate.[28][52] On June 19, 2019, a hearing on her nomination was held before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[53] During the hearing Craft said "Israel ... is the subject of unrelenting bias and hostility in UN venues. The United States will never accept such bias, and if confirmed I commit to seizing every opportunity to shine a light on this conduct, call it what it is, and demand that these outrageous practices finally come to an end."[54] Although Craft had previously said during her tenure as Ambassador to Canada that she believed there were "good scientists on both sides” of the climate debate, during her confirmation hearing she altered her position, saying that she believed that fossil fuels and human behavior have contributed to climate change. Due to her family's connections to the coal industry, she also said she would recuse herself from any UN discussions involving climate change or coal.[45][55] On July 25, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 15–7 vote, with Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons, and Chris Murphy voting for her, as well as all Republicans.[56] On July 30, 2019, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 57–33 vote.[57] On July 31, 2019, her nomination was confirmed by a 56–34 vote.[58]

      She was formally sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on September 10, 2019.[59][60] Craft formally presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on September 12, 2019, saying: "I come to the United Nations not only as the President's emissary, but also as the voice of America's unwavering commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights, and wherever possible, the peaceful resolution of conflicts."[61][62][63]

      2019

      Ambassador Craft and President of Haiti Jovenel Moïse in 2019

      When the UN General Assembly voted to add Venezuela to the UN Human Rights Council in October 2019, Craft wrote: "I am personally aggrieved that 105 countries voted in favor of this affront to human life and dignity. It provides ironclad proof that the Human Rights Council is broken, and reinforces why the United States withdrew."[64] She called it "an embarrassment to the United Nations, and a tragedy for the people of Venezuela."[65] Venezuela had been accused of withholding from the Venezuelan people humanitarian aid delivered from other nations, and of manipulating its voters in exchange for food and medical care.[64] The council had been criticized regularly for admitting members who were themselves suspected of human rights violations.[64] The US left the Council in 2018, protesting the Council's frequent denunciations of Israel.[64]

      Speaking to the UN Security Council in October 2019, she called Hamas "a terrorist organization that oppresses the Palestinian people in Gaza through intimidation and outright violence, while inciting violence against Israel". She condemned as "despicable" Hamas's violence against its own people, its use of Palestinian children as pawns, and its indiscriminate attacks on Israeli civilian areas, and called it one of the greatest obstacles to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[66]

      In November 2019, Craft met with President of Haiti Jovenel Moïse at the Haiti National Palace about ways to implement a consensual resolution of Haiti's political crisis through inclusive dialogue.[67][68] Craft later met with political leaders from other Haitian parties, listened to their different views, and urged an inclusive solution with Moïse.[68][69] She also urged the Haitian government to fight corruption, investigate and prosecute human rights abusers, and combat narcotics and human trafficking.[68]

      That same month, International Crisis Group UN Director Richard Gowan reported that Craft had won credit for attending an unusually high number of routine meetings for an American UN ambassador.[70]

      In December 2019, Craft said during a meeting of the UN Security Council that was called at her request that the US was prepared to take "simultaneous steps" with North Korea to achieve peace.[71][72] But she also warned the North Koreans against conducting further missile tests, noting that North Korean firings of ICBMs "are designed to attack the continental United States with nuclear weapons."[71][72][73]

      2020

      Craft with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020

      In January 2020, after the US killed Iranian Major General Qassim Suleimani, who had led the Quds Force, in a drone strike, Craft wrote a letter to the UN Security Council in which she said that the act was one of self-defense.[74] At the same time, she wrote in the letter that the US stood "ready to engage without preconditions in serious negotiations with Iran, with the goal of preventing further endangerment of international peace and security or escalation by the Iranian regime".[74]

      In May 2020, Craft spoke at a session of the UN Security Council, and said that the Council must ensure that armed groups in Lebanon such as the Islamist Hezbollah are disarmed, and that the role of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is strengthened so that it can effectively investigate Hezbollah's violations.[75] She noted that Hezbollah was dictating where and when UNIFIL could patrol.[76] She also said the US was deeply concerned about Iran's and Syria's transfers of weaponry to Hezbollah.[75]

      On August 13, 2020, Craft celebrated the announcement of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, calling it “a huge win” for Trump and for the world, saying that the diplomatic ties show “just how hungry for peace we all are in this world,” and saying that Mideast countries understand the need “to stand firm against a regime that is the number one state sponsor of terrorism”—Iran.[77] Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner, in his 2022 memoir Breaking History, credited Craft with both helping refine an urgently created UN Security Counsel resolution proposal calling for endorsing the Abraham Accords approach — meant to foreclose a concerning competing resolution proposal that had been created to scuttle the US peace plan, and with lobbying all of the US contacts at each UN Security Council member country.[78] This led to Germany, France, the UK, and the Dominican Republic supporting the US proposal, while China, Vietnam, and Niger said they would abstain.[78] The gambit worked, and the anti-Abraham Accords proposal was shelved indefinitely.[78]

      Speaking about Iran and the US desire to restore UN sanctions against it and extend an embargo to arms sales to the country in 2020, Craft said: "History is replete of tragedies of appeasing regimes such as this one, that for decades have kept its own people under its thumb. The Trump administration has no fear in standing in limited company on this matter, in light of the unmistakable truth guiding our actions. I only regret that other members of this [Security Council] have lost their way, and now find themselves standing in the company of terrorists."[79] She also wrote a September 20, 2021, letter to the President of the UN Security Council, pressing her point on sanctions.[80][81][82] Speaking at the US State Department in September 2020, she said: "As we have in the past, we will stand alone to protect peace and security at all times. We don’t need a cheering section to validate our moral compass."[81]

      In mid-September 2020, Craft met with James K.J. Lee, director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, for lunch in New York City.[68] He had been secretary-general in Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs until July.[68] It was unprecedented; the first meeting between a top Taiwan official and a United States Ambassador to the United Nations.[83][84] Craft said they discussed ways the US can help Taiwan become more engaged within the UN, and she pointed to a December 2019 email early alert from Taiwan that WHO had ignored, which had warned about the danger of the person-to-person transmission of the new highly contagious COVID-19 virus in China.[84] The meeting prompted protests from China.[85]

      Later in September 2020, at a UN Security Council meeting to discuss challenges related to “Post-COVID-19 Global Governance,” after her fellow members veered off onto other topics only tangentially related to the virus, Craft criticized them for using a COVID-19 meeting to focus on what she called "political grudges," rather than the pandemic.[86] She said: "You know, shame on each of you. I am astonished and I am disgusted by the content of today’s discussion. I am actually really quite ashamed of this council — members of the council who took this opportunity to focus on political grudges rather than the critical issue at hand."[86]

      In October 2020, responding to a Russian question in the Security Council as to how to improve security in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, Craft said: "Respectfully, I think the solution is much easier. This Council must simply muster the courage to hold Iran responsible to its existing international obligations."[87]

      In December 2020 she said that the UN Human Rights Council was "a haven for despots and dictators, hostile to Israel, and ineffectual on true human rights crises".[88] Remarking on China's and Venezuela's human-rights records, she said the Council "includes the voices of the very human-rights violators it was designed to counter".[89] Speaking to the Council's treatment of Israel, Craft said: "We must deal with the insanity at the center of the Human Rights Council's persistent and egregious anti-Israel bias... No other country is targeted in this way — not the murderous Assad regime in Syria, not the disastrous Maduro regime in Venezuela, and not the Chinese Communist Party responsible for abuses; not Russia, Cuba, or North Korea. Israel, only Israel..."[89]

      2021

      In January 2021, Craft met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen by video link.[90] Craft said: "We discussed the many ways Taiwan is a model for the world, as demonstrated by its success in fighting COVID-19 and all that Taiwan has to offer in the fields of health, technology and cutting-edge science.... the U.S. stands with Taiwan and always will."[90] Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said: "Certain U.S. politicians will pay a heavy price for their wrong words and deeds."[91] On her last day in office later that month, Craft called Taiwan "a force for good on the global stage — a vibrant democracy, a generous humanitarian actor, a responsible actor in the global health community, and a vigorous promoter and defender of human rights."[92]

      On January 20, 2021, days after Craft's call with the Taiwan President — and the last day of the Trump administration — China imposed sanctions against Craft (who, in addition, had sent a letter to the UN secretary general criticizing China's “excessive maritime claims” in the South China Sea), Pompeo, and 26 other former Trump officials.[93][94][95] China's ministry said it was imposing the sanctions "for a series of crazy moves that have severely interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-US relations."[96] President Biden's National Security Council called the sanctions "unproductive and cynical".[97]

      Campaign for Governor of Kentucky

      From the time that she departed from the Trump administration, there was speculation that Craft would run in the 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election.[98] Craft declared her candidacy for governor of Kentucky on September 7, 2022.[99] She chose Kentucky state senator Max Wise to be her running mate.[100]

      Her campaign focused in part on lowering the state crime rate.[101] In January 2023, she vowed to apply a "full court press" to combat the Chinese Communist Party's alleged contributions to the fentanyl crisis plaguing the United States if she were elected governor of Kentucky.[102] She also said that, if elected, "we will not have transgenders in our school system".[103]

      Craft was considered to have a fundraising and monetary advantage over her opponents, as she raised $752,000 within the first three weeks of her campaign, the second-highest Republican fundraising total behind Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles; by the end of 2022 she had taken over the Republican candidates' lead in fundraising.[104][105] In addition to her fundraising, she lent her campaign $9.2 million.[106] By May, her campaign had spent $5.3 million on advertising.[107] That month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis endorsed her, as low turnout of 10 percent of voters was expected in the election.[108] Despite raising $8.5 million, she placed third in the Republican primary, behind Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and eventual winner Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.[109]

      Personal life

      Craft married David Moross and then Judson Knight, and has two daughters.[9][8] She wed Joe Craft in April 2016.[110] A Hazard, Kentucky, native and University of Kentucky College of Law graduate, he is a billionaire coal-mining executive for Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., the second-largest coal producer in the eastern United States.[111][8][112][113][114] The couple share six children and, as of 2018, 11 grandchildren.[115]

      References

      1. ↑ Raj, Althia (July 4, 2018). "Kelly Craft Prizes Common Ground, Friends Say. But Life As Trump's Envoy In Ottawa Hasn't Been Easy". HuffPost Canada.
      2. 1 2 Straehley, Steve; Wallechinsky, David (August 14, 2017). "United States Ambassador to Canada: Who Is Kelly Knight Craft?". AllGov. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
      3. ↑ "President Trump nominates Kelly Knight Craft, Kentucky native, as next UN Ambassador". WDKY. Sinclair Broadcast Group. February 22, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
      4. ↑ "Dr. Bobby Austin Guilfoil's Obituary". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
      5. 1 2 Scott Jennings (December 31, 2019). "Kelly Craft: From Kentucky to the United Nations". Kentucky Living.
      6. 1 2 Shannon Proudfoot (March 1, 2017). "Kelly Knight Craft's cautious support of Trump pays off". Maclean's.
      7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Althia Raj (July 4, 2018). "Life As Trump's Envoy In Ottawa Hasn't Been Easy On Kelly Craft, Friends Say". HuffPost Canada.
      8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Leimbach, Dulcie; Fillion, Stéphanie (December 7, 2019). "Kelly Knight Craft's Menu for the UN: Bourbon, Basketball and Bonding". PassBlue.
      9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Campbell, Meagan (October 24, 2017). "Why Kelly Knight Craft was made U.S. ambassador to Canada". Maclean's.
      10. 1 2 Ellis, Ronnie (September 13, 2007). "Bush nominates Knight for UN". Glasgow Daily Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
      11. ↑ Bill Curry (June 15, 2017). "Trump's ambassador pick sends GOP power couple to Ottawa". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
      12. 1 2 3 Lindsey Piercy (August 7, 2019). "UK Alumna Kelly Craft Confirmed as US Ambassador to United Nations". UKNow.
      13. ↑ "Kelly G. Knight LLC". Bloomberg.
      14. ↑ "New Arrivals — Winter 2018," Diplomat & International Canada, December 18, 2017.
      15. ↑ "Annual Report Online Filing; Kelly G. Knight, LLC," Alison Lundergan Grimes, Secretary of State, Commonwealth of Kentucky.
      16. ↑ Latek, Tom (June 14, 2017). "Kelly Knight Craft is Trump's pick to serve as US Ambassador to Canada". Kentucky Today. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
      17. ↑ "Who We Are". CABC. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
      18. ↑ "Republican fundraiser Kelly Knight Craft to be new U.S. ambassador to Canada". CBC News. June 14, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017. Last June, Bloomberg reported that Trump promised he would keep two top Republicans, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, in their leadership posts – a key factor in the Crafts' decision to raise money for the then presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
      19. 1 2 3 "Who is Kelly Craft? What to know about the candidate for Kentucky governor".
      20. 1 2 3 Mencarini, Matt (April 8, 2019). "How Trump's pick for UN ambassador has deep ties to Kentucky Republican politics". The Courier-Journal.
      21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gardner, Lauren (June 17, 2019). "Trump's U.N. nominee was 'absent' ambassador". Politico. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
      22. 1 2 "Trump nominates Kelly Knight Craft as the next ambassador to Canada". BBC. June 15, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
      23. ↑ Ling, Justin (March 1, 2017). "Trump's pick for Canada: Kelly Knight Craft is the billionaire Republican donor tapped to be the next U.S. ambassador". Vice News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017. Only a fraction of that money ended up in Trump's campaign. The pair initially supported Marco Rubio, but also contributed to the campaigns of Ted Cruz and Chris Christie.
      24. ↑ Joel L. Fleishman (2017). Putting Wealth to Work; Philanthropy for Today Or Investing for Tomorrow?
      25. ↑ "Kelly Knight Craft Named Ambassador to Canada". Ottawa Citizen. June 15, 2017.
      26. ↑ "Morehead State receives additional $3.5M commitment for Craft Academy". The Lane Report. October 18, 2019.
      27. ↑ Ronnie Ellis (June 14, 2017). "Kelly Craft named ambassador to Canada". The Daily Independent.
      28. 1 2 Latek, Tom (May 3, 2019). "Kentuckian Kelly Craft nominated as ambassador to United Nations". Kentucky Today.
      29. 1 2 "Board of Trustees Members — Kelly Knight Craft". University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
      30. ↑ Eads, Morgan (October 17, 2017). "Bevin appoints new member to UK Board of Trustees". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
      31. ↑ "U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft to address Craft Academy graduates". WTVQ. May 8, 2018.
      32. 1 2 3 "PN916 - Nomination of Kelly G. Knight for Department of State, 110th Congress (2007-2008)". US Congress. October 26, 2007.
      33. 1 2 "PN603 – Kelly Knight Craft – Department of State". US Congress. August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
      34. ↑ "Ten Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" (Press release). White House Office of the Press Secretary. June 15, 2017. Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
      35. ↑ "Kelly Craft sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Canada". WKYT. August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
      36. ↑ "Kelly Craft confirmed as ambassador to Canada". The Times-Tribune. August 3, 2017.
      37. ↑ "Ambassador–Designate Kelly Craft to present Letters of Credence to Governor General Julie Payette". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Canada. October 19, 2017.
      38. ↑ "New U.S. ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft says she believes 'both sides' of climate science". CBC News. October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
      39. ↑ Anapol, Avery (October 24, 2017). "US ambassador to Canada believes 'both sides' of climate science". The Hill. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
      40. ↑ Vivian Salama and Farnaz Fassihi (February 23, 2019). "Trump to Nominate Kelly Craft as U.N. Ambassador". The Wall Street Journal.
      41. ↑ Johnson, Eliana; Lippman, Daniel; Orr, Gabby (October 12, 2018). "White House considers 2 female ambassadors to replace Haley at U.N." Politico.
      42. ↑ Alexander Panetta, Nahal Toosi, Eliana Johnson, and Brent D. Griffiths (February 22, 2019). "Trump taps Kelly Knight Craft as U.N. ambassador". Politico.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
      43. ↑ L. Ian MacDonald (2022). Politics & Players, McGill-Queen's University Press, ISBN 9780228012146.
      44. 1 2 Gardner, Lauren (June 17, 2019). "Trump's U.N. nominee was 'absent' ambassador". Politico.
      45. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lesley Clark (June 19, 2019). "Kelly Craft breaks with Trump, says ‘human behavior’ plays a climate change role," McClatchy DC.
      46. 1 2 Borger, Julian (June 19, 2019). "Trump's UN pick under fire for spending 300 days away from current post". The Guardian. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
      47. 1 2 Lesley Clark and Linda Blackford (February 28, 2019). "From small-town Kentucky to the UN: Can Trump nominee Kelly Craft surprise the skeptics?", Lexington Herald-Leader.
      48. ↑ Holland, Stephen (February 21, 2019). "Trump picks envoy to Canada Kelly Craft for U.N. ambassador". Reuters.
      49. ↑ "Ex-Fox News anchor Heather Nauert withdraws from consideration as UN ambassador". CNBC. February 16, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
      50. ↑ John Bolton (2020). The Room Where It Happened; A White House Memoir, Simon & Schuster.
      51. ↑ "Trump picks Canada envoy Kelly Craft as US ambassador to the UN". Business Standard. February 23, 2019.
      52. ↑ The White House (May 2, 2019). "Seven Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. National Archives. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
      53. ↑ "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations". US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. June 19, 2019.
      54. ↑ "Trump's pick for UN envoy says she'll fight anti-Israel bias". Times of Israel. January 21, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
      55. ↑ Kirby, Jen (July 31, 2019). "The Senate confirms Kelly Craft as the new UN ambassador". Vox. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
      56. ↑ Gardner, Lauren (July 25, 2019). "Senate panel endorses Kelly Craft as U.N. envoy". Politico.
      57. ↑ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Kelly Craft to be Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Nations and Representative to the Security Council)". US Senate. July 30, 2019.
      58. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Kelly Craft, of Kentucky, to be Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Nations and Representative to the Security Council)". US Senate. July 31, 2019.
      59. ↑ Mary Clare Jalonick (July 31, 2019). "Senate confirms Kelly Craft as US ambassador to UN". AP News.
      60. ↑ "Ambassador Kelly Craft". United States Mission to the United Nations. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
      61. ↑ Linda Fasulo (2021).An Insider's Guide to the UN, Yale University Press.
      62. ↑ Lederer, Edith M. (September 12, 2019). "New US envoy Kelly Craft says she will be voice for freedom". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
      63. ↑ Craft, Ambassador Kelly (September 12, 2019). "Delighted to present my credentials to Secretary-General @antonioguterres as the new U.S. representative to the @UN. Looking forward to an ambitious agenda at the United Nations, working in partnership with member states toward a safer, more prosperous world.pic.twitter.com/u7tTOLc1ht". @USAmbUN. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
      64. 1 2 3 4 Symonds, Alexandria (October 17, 2019). "Venezuela to Join U.N. Human Rights Council, Despite Track Record". The New York Times.
      65. ↑ Katherine D. McCann, Tracy North (2021). Handbook of Latin American Studies, Vol. 75, University of Texas Press, ISBN 9781477322789.
      66. ↑ Tovah Lazaroff (October 28, 2019). "Hamas one of largest obstacles to Palestinian peace, U.S. tells UNSC; The US Ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft, chastised the UN for its biased approach to Israel, noting, that its stance was 'unfairly negative and one-sided.'". The Jerusalem Post.
      67. ↑ Gardy Saint Louis (November 20, 2019). "Jovenel Moïse et Kelly Craft s'entretiennent sur les mécanismes du dialogue". Haiti24.
      68. 1 2 3 4 5 "The United States supports Moïse, the opposition remains on its positions: Haiti news". Haiti Libre. November 21, 2019.
      69. ↑ "Kelly Craft a rencontré Jovenel Moise, sa présence en Haïti est d'aider à résoudre la crise, dit-elle | Actualités Politiques". Haïti News 2000. November 20, 2019.
      70. ↑ "Three Troubling Trends at the UN Security Council"
      71. 1 2 Ambassador Kelly Craft (December 11, 2019). "Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Nonproliferation and the DPRK". United States Mission to the United Nations.
      72. 1 2 Gladstone, Rick (December 12, 2019). "After North Korea Hints at New Policy, U.S. Warns Against More Missile Tests; The American ambassador to the United Nations, responding to North Korean signals that it could resume long-range missile tests, said such a move would be 'deeply counterproductive.'". The New York Times.
      73. ↑ Bruce Klingner (December 20, 2019). "U.S. Needs Resolve and Restraint in Response to North Korean Provocations".
      74. 1 2 Specia, Megan (January 9, 2020). "Iran Offers Mixed Message After Backing Away From Conflict With U.S." The New York Times.
      75. 1 2 Tovah Lazaroff (May 14, 2020). "US: Security Council must enforce Hezbollah disarmament strengthen UNIFIL". The Jerusalem Post.
      76. ↑ The EU, Irish Defence Forces and Contemporary Security. Springer. January 23, 2023. ISBN 9783031078125.
      77. ↑ "US envoy: UAE-Israel deal ‘huge win’ for Trump" Archived August 22, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. 13 August 2020. WTOP News. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
      78. 1 2 3 Kushner, Jared (2022). Breaking history: a White House memoir. New York, NY. pp. 328–29. ISBN 978-0-06-322148-2. OCLC 1319741976.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
      79. ↑ Gladstone, Rick (August 25, 2020). "Security Council Leader Rejects U.S. Demand for U.N. Sanctions on Iran; The setback elicited an angry reaction from the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who accused her counterparts of standing with terrorists". The New York Times.
      80. ↑ Craft, Ambassador Kelly (September 21, 2020). "letter to #UN Security President @Niger_ONU demanding "all Member States" to "implement the re-imposed measures" on #Iran, including nuclear, ballistic missile related, arms embargo & other targeted sanctions on individuals & entities..." Twitter.
      81. 1 2 Jakes, Lara; Sanger, David E.; Fassihi, Farnaz (September 21, 2020). "Trying to Hammer Iran With U.N. Sanctions, U.S. Issues More of Its Own". The New York Times.
      82. ↑ Schwirtz, Michael (August 14, 2020). "U.N. Security Council Rejects U.S. Proposal to Extend Arms Embargo on Iran". The New York Times.
      83. ↑ The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China. PublicAffairs. March 22, 2022. ISBN 9781541701304.
      84. 1 2 Edith M. Lederer (September 17, 2020). "US envoy to United Nations meets with Taiwan official in NY; The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has met with Taiwan's top official in New York". ABC News.
      85. ↑ Political Handbook of the World 2022-2023. CQ Press. June 27, 2023. ISBN 9781071853061.
      86. 1 2 Shaw, Adam (September 24, 2020). "At UN, Kelly Craft tears into Security Council at COVID session: 'Shame on each of you'". Fox News.
      87. ↑ The Arms Race in the Middle East: Contemporary Security Dynamics. Springer. September 13, 2023. ISBN 9783031324321.
      88. ↑ "Virtual Event: How to Fix the Broken U.N. Human Rights Council: A Conversation with Ambassador Kelly Craft". The Heritage Foundation. December 14, 2020.
      89. 1 2 Omri Nahmias (December 15, 2020). "Kelly Craft: 'Must deal with egregious anti-Israel bias' at UN; Speaking at the Heritage Foundation, the ambassador to the UN called for reforms in the Human Rights Council before the US could rejoin it". The Jerusalem Post.
      90. 1 2 Lawrence Chung (January 14, 2021). "Taiwan a 'model for the world', American envoy Kelly Craft says". South China Morning Post.
      91. ↑ Michelle Nichols, Ben Blanchard (January 14, 2021). "U.S. stands by Taiwan, envoy says after cancelled trip". Reuters.
      92. ↑ Edith M. Lederer (April 27, 2021). "Outgoing US ambassador says world must end Taiwan's exclusion". AP News.
      93. ↑ Lin Chia-nan (January 15, 2021). "US stands by Taiwan, Craft tells Tsai". Taipei Times.
      94. ↑ Ramzy, Austin (January 24, 2021). "China Sends Warplanes to Taiwan Strait in a Show of Force to Biden". The New York Times.
      95. ↑ Wong, Edward; Crowley, Michael (July 13, 2020). "U.S. Says Most of China's Claims in South China Sea Are Illegal". The New York Times.
      96. ↑ Contextualizing Biden’s China Foreign Policy, Trends Research & Advisory, ISBN 9789948846451.
      97. ↑ Martina, Michael (January 21, 2021). "Biden administration calls China sanctions on Trump officials 'unproductive and cynical'". Reuters. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
      98. ↑ Isenstadt, Alex (January 28, 2021). "Trump-inspired big donors plan their own campaigns". Politico. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
      99. ↑ Schreiner, Bruce (September 7, 2022). "Trump ambassador Kelly Craft joins Kentucky governor's race". Associated Press. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
      100. ↑ "Republican candidate for governor Kelly Craft names running mate". WKYT-TV. September 21, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
      101. ↑ Karolina Buczek (September 14, 2022). "Kelly Craft officially launches campaign for Kentucky governor". LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
      102. ↑ Gillespie, Brandon (January 12, 2023). "Trump UN ambassador vows 'full court press' to combat China's fentanyl 'abuses' in this state if elected gov; Kelly Craft is running to unseat vulnerable Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in Kentucky, a state hit hard by the opioid crisis". Fox News.
      103. ↑ "Comment on transgender issue roils Kentucky governor's race". AP. May 9, 2023.
      104. ↑ Joe Sonka (January 4, 2023). "Kelly Craft takes money lead among GOP Kentucky governor candidates". Louisville Courier Journal.
      105. ↑ Bittenbender, Steve (October 7, 2022). "Kelly Craft posts strong campaign totals a month after announcing gubernatorial run". The Center Square. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
      106. ↑ McKenna Horsley (May 5, 2023). "Kelly Craft loans her campaign $9.3 million". Kentucky Lantern.
      107. ↑ Marquez, Alexandra (May 4, 2023). "GOP primary for Kentucky governor tops $10 million in ads". NBC News. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
      108. ↑ "DeSantis backs Craft in Kentucky governor's race". May 16, 2023.
      109. ↑ Schreiner, Bruce (May 16, 2023). "Trump-backed Daniel Cameron to face Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in November". Associated Press. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
      110. ↑ Bevin, Matt [@mattbevin] (April 29, 2016). "Congratulations to my friends Kelly Knight and Joe Craft on their wedding day!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 18, 2017 – via Twitter.
      111. ↑ "Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. Announces Fourth Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call". Business Wire. January 18, 2021.
      112. ↑ Barton, Rosemary; Harris, Kathleen; Zimonjic, Peter (October 23, 2017). "New U.S. ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft says she believes 'both sides' of climate science". CBC News. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
      113. ↑ "Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. Announces Acquisition of Coal Supply Agreements from Affiliate of Patriot Coal Corporation". Business Wire. January 2, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
      114. ↑ Eder, Steve; Tabuchi, Hiroko; Lipton, Eric (June 2, 2018). "A Courtside View of Scott Pruitt's Cozy Ties With a Billionaire Coal Baron". The New York Times. New York City. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
      115. ↑ "U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft to address Craft Academy graduates". Morehead State News. May 9, 2018. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
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