Nikki Haley, current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, just put in her two weeks with the White House and the Trump Administration. This decision comes at an inconvenient time in geopolitics, with tensions rising in the middle east, and stakes increasing in the United States’ trade war with China.
During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday morning, Haley informed the public of her decision to leave the position. When asked why she was leaving, Haley said that she believes the Administration should have “the strongest person to fight, and it’s good to rate in other people who can put that same energy and power into it.”
President Trump responded, in a beautiful, and somewhat creepy father00like fashion, “we’re all happy for you in one way, but we hate to lose you. Hopefully you’ll be coming back at some point, but maybe in a different capacity. You can have your pick.” President Trump has spoken, on multiple occasions, of his adoration of Ambassador Haley, offing referring to her as a “blessing.” This sentiment is worth dissecting because when Haley was Governor of South Carolina, she was a heavy critic of Trump during his 2016 Republican primary campaign. During his 2016 campaign, Haley was selected to deliver the Republican party’s response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. In her speech, she insisted that members of the grand ol’ party resist following the “angriest voices,” subtly meaning Trump, though never explicitly mentioning his name. When ABC News’ Jon Karl tried to dig at this lil’ back stab, he asked Haley what, if anything, makes Trump “one of the angriest voices,” and Haley brought up the then-candidate’s call to ban foreign Muslims from entering the country.
“The one that got me, I think, was when he started saying ban all Muslims. When you’ve got immigrants that are coming here legally, we’ve never in the history of this country passed any laws or done anything based on race or religion. Let’s not start now”
-Governor Nikki Haley, (R-SC)
Despite her early critique of Trump during the 2016 campaign season, Haley ultimately voted for Trump, but this was much to her chagrin. Haley publicly supported Sen. Marco Rubio during the 2016 primaries, and would regularly make disparaging comments about Trump while campaigning with Rubio. At one rally in February of 2016, Haley said that she wouldn’t stop “until we fight a man that refuses to disavow the KKK.” After Trump won, Haley agreed to take a meeting with the new President of the United States. In the days following this meeting, she spoke at the Federalist Society, saying that Trump’s election was a “rejection of both parties” and “not an affirmation of the way Republicans have conducted themselves.”
Typically, when you make comments like Haley has made about President Trump, the person for which the comments target will not usually give you a job offer. Alas, President Trump has proven time and time, again, that he is not a typical President. Four days after Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, Former Governor Haley was confirmed as U.N. Ambassador. During her time as ambassador, Haley became a powerhouse of a supporter for the State of Israel. Haley was fiercely opposed to bias and hate speech directed at the relationship between Israel and the U.S., going as far as to pull the U.S. out of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) — calling it a “cesspool of political bias.” In response to her support of Israel, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon had this to say:
“Thank you for representing the values common to Israel and the United States. Thank you for your support for the State of Israel, which helped lead to a change in Israel’s status in the UN,” he said in a statement. “Thank you for your close friendship and common paths. Wherever you are, you will continue to be a true friend of the State of Israel.”
–Danny Danon, UN Ambassador for Israel
Political analysts suggest that Former UN Ambassador Haley resigned because she plans on running for President in the 2020 election, but she has gone on record that she has no interest in running for the position.
Well, Madam Ex-Ambassador, I wish you the best of luck and hope the White House offers you a hefty severance package.
