Nikki Haley Resigns As US Ambassador To The United Nations
Nikki Haley, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, has resigned, according to a report from the New York Times.
Haley’s appointment came to the surprise of some, given her early criticism of the president.
“Ms. Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, had been an early and frequent critic of Mr. Trump, so when he named her the envoy to the world body weeks after his election in November 2016, the appointment was seen as an olive branch,” the New York Times report reads.
According to Axios, President Trump has accepted Haley’s resignation, based on sources the outlet says were briefed on a conversation between the two.
Haley’s resignation comes the day after Washington watchdog the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington called for an investigation into Haley’s travel history, saying some luxury flights were funded by three South Carolina businessmen. It is unknown at this time whether her resignation is related to the group’s call for an ethics probe.
CNN adds that Haley reportedly gave her resignation directly to President Trump on Tuesday and that she told her staff about her departure on Tuesday morning. The former South Carolina governor had been one of the few to occasionally push back against Trump but not draw his wrath. As news of Nikki’s exit spread, the president teased an upcoming announcement with Haley for later Tuesday morning, referring to her as his friend.
BREAKING: U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley will leave her job at the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/EGkddUzsy6
— AJ+ (@ajplus) October 9, 2018
Haley reportedly laid down some conditions with former chief of staff Reince Priebus before accepting the position. She insisted on being involved in the decision-making and wanted latitude to speak her mind. Trump agreed to her conditions, and she was known for contradicting former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and others upon occasion.
Reports suggest that Haley had started discussing a possible resignation last week during a meeting with Trump at the White House, details Fox News. The news has seemingly left many throughout the administration stunned and little information is known at the moment about why Haley chose to resign now or apparently started to discuss a departure last week.
Additional information about United Nation Ambassador Nikki Haley’s resignation will emerge as the day plays out. Early reports suggest that despite giving President Donald Trump her resignation now, she will stay in the position until the end of the year. That is unusual with this administration, as most of those who have resigned have departed the Trump inner circle immediately. Nikki Haley’s departure is one of many within the Trump administration, but this may be one of the most sudden and surprising ones.
