Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley insisted that “in America, our political opponents are not evil,” a sharp rhetorical break from President Trump, who has labeled Democrats as “evil,” crime-loving and unwilling to defend the nation, Politico reports.
Haley Told Trump She Didn’t Know What U.N. Did
Max Blumenthal infiltrated a meeting of the Council for National Policy, a group of a few hundred of the most powerful conservatives in the country, to listen to outgoing U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.
Haley told the gathering that President Trump initially offered her the position of Secretary of State in 2016, but she declined saying, “I thought the job should go to someone who didn’t have the same learning curve,” and conceded that she was not qualified for a top diplomatic position.
Then Trump offered her a job as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Haley told Trump, “Honestly, I don’t even know what the UN does.” She ultimately took the job with the condition that she have Cabinet secretary rank and be a member of the National Security Council.
“The crowd erupted with sympathetic laughter and applause, apparently untroubled by Haley’s confession of ignorance.”
Ethics Group Questions Haley’s Use of Private Planes
“A Washington, D.C., watchdog group wants a federal investigation into U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley’s use of private planes owned by South Carolina businessmen,” McClatchy reports.
“The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, says Haley undervalued the flights by tens of thousands of dollars on her annual financial disclosure form required of federal officials. The ethics group says the flights create the impression of impermissible gifts to a public official.”
Quote of the Day
“I can’t say enough good things about Jared and Ivanka. Jared is such a hidden genius that no one understands.”
— Departing U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, quoted by The Hill.
Haley Says She Won’t Run for President In 2020
Departing UN Ambassador Nikki Haley denied she is stepping down later this year to prepare for a 2020 bid for the White House, Roll Call reports.
Said Haley: “I don’t have anything set on where I’m going to go. I’m a believer in term limits.”
She added: “For all of you who are going to ask about 2020, no I am not running for 2020. I can promise you what I’ll be doing is campaigning for this one,” pointing to President Trump.
Nikki Haley Resigns as U.N. Ambassador
President Trump has accepted Nikki Haley’s resignation as UN Ambassador, Axios reports.
“Haley discussed her resignation with Trump last week when she visited him at the White House… Her news shocked a number of senior foreign policy officials in the Trump administration.”
Haley Draws a Red Line for Trump
“In the span of 24 hours, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has done what none of her colleagues in President Trump’s Cabinet have before: successfully telegraphed to her boss that she will not quietly suffer his public humiliations,” Politico reports.
“The incident has met with silence from the president and his loyalists but has only helped to burnish Haley’s image outside of the White House.”
Trump Halts New Russian Sanctions, Reversing Haley
President Trump “put the brakes on a preliminary plan to impose additional economic sanctions on Russia, walking back a Sunday announcement by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley that the Kremlin had swiftly denounced as ‘international economic raiding,'” the Washington Post reports.
“The Trump team decided to publicly characterize Haley’s announcement as a misstatement.”
Quote of the Day
“I have literally been on Air Force One once and there were several people in the room when I was there. He says that I’ve been talking a lot with the president in the Oval about my political future. I’ve never talked once to the president about my future and I am never alone with him.”
— U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in an interview with Politico, denying rumors she’s having an affair with President Trump.
Haley Tricked by Russian Crank Call
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley “may have been fooled by a pair of Russian pranksters pretending to be the prime minister of Poland. The duo, known as Vovan and Lexus, claims to have arranged a crank phone call Thursday with the former South Carolina governor,” the Charleston Post and Courier reports.
“The pair, whose real names are Alexei Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov, posted a nearly 22-minute video clip this weekend in which a woman who sounds like Haley speaks to a man who she thinks is the new Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Between questions about Ukraine and Russia, the fake prime minister asked Haley about Binomo — a fake island that does not exist.”
“You know Binomo?” the prankster said.
“Yes, yes,” Haley responded.
“They had elections and we suppose Russians had its intervention,” the joker said.
“Yes, of course they did, absolutely,” Haley said.
Trump Furious at Nikki Haley’s Remarks
“The president’s advisers were stunned Sunday when one of the highest-ranking women in the Trump administration broke with the White House line and said the accusers’ voices ‘should be heard,'” the AP reports.
“Haley’s comments infuriated the president… Trump has grown increasingly angry in recent days that the accusations against him have resurfaced, telling associates that the charges are false and drawing parallels to the accusations facing Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.”
Haley Says Olympics May Not Be Safe for U.S. Athletes
United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley said that it was an “open question” whether American athletes would be able to attend the Olympics in South Korea in February given the tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the New York Times reports.
Haley Turned Down Offer to Be Secretary of State
CNN: “Nikki Haley was under consideration to become Donald Trump’s secretary of state when she flew to New York to meet the President-elect for the first time since his election victory. The South Carolina governor was torn. The baggage from the 2016 campaign — she supported Marco Rubio in her state’s all-important presidential primary and later backed Ted Cruz — didn’t suddenly evaporate for Trump, who never forgets a slight.”
“But there was something more fundamental that bothered her: Her resume. Yes, Haley traveled abroad as governor and she was successful in bringing business into the state. But none of that could prepare her to lead American diplomacy in a world where North Korea was becoming more aggressive, the crisis in Syria was deepening, Venezuela was succumbing to a dictator and the war in Afghanistan showed no sign of easing. She told Trump no.”
Foreign Policy: Where’s Rex? U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley steps in as America’s de facto diplomat-in-chief.
Haley Loses Two Top Aides
“U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has lost two of her top aides, key departures that come at a time of growing international tensions between the U.S. and North Korea,” Bloomberg reports.
“Haley’s Chief of Staff Steven Groves resigned, as did her communications director Jonathan Wachtel. Haley said on Twitter Wednesday it was because of ‘family concerns.'”
Haley Sets Herself Up as a Potential Challenger to Trump
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State Department Wants Haley’s Remarks Cleared First
New York Times: “The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has often been the first, most outspoken member of the Trump administration to weigh in on key foreign policy issues, on everything from military strikes on Syria to sanctions against Russia and how to approach human rights. Much of that has come as a surprise to the State Department, and the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has often been far from the limelight.”
“Now, in an apparent attempt to foster greater coherence in American foreign policy, State Department officials are urging her aides to ensure her public remarks are cleared by Washington first.”
