ELKO, Nevada (AP) — President Donald Trump says he hopes to select a U.N. ambassador to replace Nikki Haley very soon and is interviewing 5 candidates for the job.

Trump said Saturday after a campaign rally in Nevada: "We'll have somebody great ... we're going to pick somebody very quickly.

Trump said he's interviewing three women and two men for the post. Asked if he would prefer to have a woman in the job, he said "Yes," later adding: "I think I might prefer that, but we'll see."

Haley announced earlier this month that she was leaving the job by the end of the year. She is the former governor of South Carolina.

Haley has often been an unpredictable and independent force in the Trump administration.