Kelly Knight Craft

Kelly Knight Craft
Born	Kelly Guilfoil Knight
Birthplace	Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Diplomat, businesswoman, political figure
Known for	United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2019–2021), United States Ambassador to Canada (2017–2019)

Kelly Knight Craft (née Guilfoil, formerly Knight) is an American diplomat, businesswoman, and political figure who served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021 and as the United States Ambassador to Canada from 2017 to 2019. Appointed to both posts by President Donald Trump, Craft became one of the most prominent diplomatic figures of the Trump administration, though her tenure was marked by both praise from supporters who described her as effective and capable, and criticism from opponents who questioned her qualifications, her absences from post, and potential conflicts of interest stemming from her family's ties to the coal industry. Prior to entering government service, Craft was a prominent Republican fundraiser and donor in Kentucky, where she and her husband, coal magnate Joe Craft, were significant figures in both business and political circles. In 2023, she sought the Republican nomination for Governor of Kentucky but was unsuccessful in the primary election.

Early Life

Kelly Guilfoil Knight was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. She grew up in the state that would remain central to her personal and professional life throughout her career. Details regarding her parents, siblings, and childhood experiences are not extensively documented in available sources. Kentucky's political and business landscape shaped her trajectory, and she became deeply embedded in the state's Republican political networks from an early age. She was previously married before her marriage to Joe Craft, the president and chief executive officer of Alliance Resource Partners, one of the largest coal producers in the eastern United States.

Career

Republican Fundraising and Political Activity

Before entering government service, Kelly Knight Craft established herself as a significant figure in Republican politics, primarily through fundraising and political donations. She and her husband, Joe Craft, were major donors to Republican candidates and causes at both the state and national levels. Their financial contributions to the Republican Party and various political campaigns gave them access to senior political figures and positioned Kelly Knight Craft as a notable figure within the party's donor class. This background in political fundraising would later prove consequential when she was considered for ambassadorial appointments, as major donors have historically been selected for such positions by presidents of both parties.

Her involvement in Kentucky Republican politics was longstanding, and she cultivated relationships with political leaders across the state and nationally. The Craft family's wealth, derived substantially from Joe Craft's coal business, made them among the most influential political donors in Kentucky and the broader Appalachian region.

United States Ambassador to Canada (2017–2019)

In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Kelly Knight Craft to serve as the United States Ambassador to Canada. Her confirmation hearing before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations attracted relatively little scrutiny, with senators posing few challenging questions during the proceedings. The low-profile nature of the confirmation was notable given that the United States–Canada relationship is one of the most significant bilateral relationships in American foreign policy, encompassing extensive trade, security cooperation, and shared border management.

Craft was confirmed by the Senate and assumed her post in Ottawa. During her tenure as ambassador, she was tasked with managing the bilateral relationship during a period of significant trade tensions, particularly surrounding the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was eventually replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).

However, Craft's time as ambassador to Canada became a subject of significant controversy when reports emerged regarding her frequent absences from Ottawa. An investigation by Politico found that Craft was away from Canada for approximately half of her days as ambassador, a finding that raised questions about her commitment to the posting and the effectiveness of her diplomatic service. These absences became a focal point of criticism during her subsequent confirmation process for the United Nations ambassadorship.

The reports indicated that Craft frequently traveled back to the United States, including to Kentucky, during her time as the top American diplomat in Canada. Critics argued that her extended periods away from post demonstrated a lack of seriousness about the role, while supporters contended that modern diplomacy did not require constant physical presence at the embassy and that Craft maintained effective communication with Canadian officials regardless of her location.

Nomination as United States Ambassador to the United Nations

On February 22, 2019, President Trump announced that he would nominate Kelly Knight Craft to succeed Nikki Haley as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, one of the most prominent diplomatic positions in the American government.

The nomination immediately generated substantial attention and debate. Several areas of concern were raised by critics, Democratic lawmakers, and foreign policy analysts.

Ties to the Coal Industry

One of the most prominent lines of criticism centered on potential conflicts of interest arising from Craft's marriage to Joe Craft, the CEO of Alliance Resource Partners. As the United Nations is a major forum for international negotiations on climate change and environmental policy, critics questioned whether Craft could serve as an impartial representative on these issues given her family's deep financial ties to the fossil fuel industry.

PassBlue, a publication focused on the United Nations, published an in-depth examination of the potential conflicts, noting that the Craft family's wealth was substantially derived from coal production and exploring whether this connection might influence American positions on climate-related issues at the United Nations. Environmental groups and some Democratic senators expressed concern that Craft's personal financial interests could compromise her ability to engage constructively on climate negotiations, which were a significant component of multilateral diplomacy at the UN.

Craft had previously drawn attention during her time in Canada for comments about climate change in which she expressed a belief in giving weight to "both sides" of the climate science debate, a statement that was criticized by climate scientists and environmental advocates who noted that the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change was overwhelming.

Absenteeism Record in Canada

The Politico report documenting Craft's frequent absences from Ottawa during her time as ambassador to Canada also became a significant issue during the confirmation process. Senators, particularly Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee, pressed Craft on her travel record and questioned whether a similar pattern might continue if she were confirmed to the UN post.

During her Senate confirmation hearing, Craft addressed the criticism directly, defending her record and arguing that she had been effective in her role despite the time spent away from Canada. The hearing drew considerable media attention, with both supporters and critics of the nomination using the occasion to make their case.

Confirmation as United States Ambassador to the United Nations

On July 31, 2019, the United States Senate confirmed Kelly Knight Craft as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. The vote fell largely along party lines, reflecting the partisan divisions that had characterized the confirmation debate.

The confirmation vote underscored the deeply divided perspectives on Craft's qualifications and suitability for the role. Republican senators generally praised her as capable and effective, with supporters describing her as a "very impressive individual" who would represent American interests at the United Nations. Democrats, however, were largely opposed, with prominent Democratic senators going so far as to declare her "unfit to serve" in the position.

The Washington Post reported that the confirmation vote "fell largely on party lines," indicating the extent to which Craft's nomination had become a partisan issue rather than one evaluated purely on diplomatic qualifications. Despite the opposition, the Republican-controlled Senate had sufficient votes to confirm the nomination.

Tenure at the United Nations (2019–2021)

Following her confirmation, Craft assumed her position at the United Nations in New York. As the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, she served as the principal American voice in the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly, as well as in various multilateral forums and negotiations.

Craft's tenure at the UN spanned a consequential period in international affairs, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, which profoundly affected the operations of the United Nations and international cooperation more broadly. She served in the position until the end of the Trump administration in January 2021.

Throughout her time at the United Nations, Craft continued to face the same lines of criticism that had emerged during her confirmation, including questions about potential conflicts of interest related to her family's coal business and concerns about her engagement with the position. Supporters, however, pointed to her efforts on various diplomatic fronts and her advocacy for American interests at the international body.

2023 Kentucky Gubernatorial Campaign

Following the end of her service in the Trump administration, Craft returned to Kentucky and entered the political arena as a candidate. In the 2023 election cycle, she ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of Kentucky. The campaign represented her first bid for elected office after years of involvement in Republican politics primarily as a donor and fundraiser, and subsequently as a diplomat.

Craft ran on her record of government service and her connections to the state's business and political communities. However, the primary field was competitive, and Craft was unable to secure the Republican nomination. She lost in the Republican primary on May 16, 2023. The primary defeat ended her gubernatorial ambitions, at least for that election cycle.

Personal Life

Kelly Knight Craft is married to Joe Craft, the president and chief executive officer of Alliance Resource Partners, LP, one of the largest coal producers in the eastern United States. The couple resides in Kentucky and has been among the most prominent figures in the state's business and political communities. Joe Craft's leadership of Alliance Resource Partners has made the family one of the wealthiest in Kentucky, and their combined political and business influence has been a defining feature of their public profile.

The Craft family's ties to the coal industry have been a recurring theme in public discussions about Kelly Knight Craft, particularly during her diplomatic career. The potential for conflicts of interest between her husband's business interests and her governmental responsibilities was raised repeatedly by critics during her confirmation processes and throughout her tenure in both ambassadorial positions.

Kelly Knight Craft is a member of the Republican Party and has been active in party politics for decades, both as a donor and, later, as a candidate for office. Her political activities have been closely intertwined with her husband's business interests and their shared involvement in Kentucky's political landscape.

Recognition

Kelly Knight Craft's career in public service brought her significant national and international attention. Her appointment as United States Ambassador to Canada in 2017 made her one of the most prominent political appointees of the early Trump administration, and her subsequent elevation to the United Nations ambassadorship in 2019 placed her among the highest-ranking American diplomats.

Her confirmation hearings, particularly for the UN ambassadorship, generated extensive media coverage in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, and various international news organizations. The hearings became notable events in the broader political discourse of the Trump era, with the debates over her qualifications serving as a proxy for larger disagreements about the administration's approach to diplomacy and multilateral institutions.

Coverage of Craft's career reflected the polarized nature of American politics during this period. Republican-aligned commentators and officials praised her diplomatic service, while Democratic critics and some foreign policy analysts questioned her qualifications and raised concerns about conflicts of interest. Her 2023 gubernatorial campaign in Kentucky further raised her profile within state politics, though her primary defeat limited the extent of that exposure.