Heather Nauert, promoted at State Department, is from LI

The new acting undersecretary of state, Heather Nauert, hails from Long Island.

Nauert, 48, of Locust Valley, a former Fox News host on “Fox and Friends,” was promoted Tuesday after Steve Goldstein, the former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, was fired for breaking from the official White House position on the ousting of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

White House officials said Tillerson was told Friday that he was being replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The State Department countered that Tillerson didn’t learn of the firing until he saw President Donald Trump’s tweet announcing the change Tuesday morning.

The White House announced Tuesday afternoon that Nauert would assume the acting position.

She had served as spokeswoman for the State Department since April under Tillerson. Her voter registration is listed as blank in Nassau County.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.