The U.N. ambassador made crystal clear after initially being blamed for ‘confusion’ on Russia sanctions that she will not tolerate public humiliation quietly.
In the span of 24 hours, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has done what none of her colleagues in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet have before: successfully telegraphed to her boss that she will not quietly suffer his public humiliations.
Haley was initially blamed by White House aides for creating confusion by speaking on national television about the administration’s plans to roll out new sanctions against Russia that the president ultimately decided to defer.
But within hours of White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow’s statement Tuesday that Haley had fallen prey to “momentary confusion” and gotten “out ahead of the curve,” she’d exacted a public apology from her colleague. That alone wasn’t enough for the former South Carolina governor, who issued a direct statement to make her point crystal clear: “With all due respect, I don’t get confused.”
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.
“She’s been a very forceful advocate and I would hope the administration really values that. She stood up for herself admirably, so hopefully that will end the story there,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Wednesday.
While Trump favorites like Defense Secretary James Mattis have been careful always to air their disagreements with the president in private, Haley has at times charted her own path in public.
Early in her tenure, she called Russian meddling into the 2016 election an act of “warfare.” Months later, as Trump was facing criticism over his dismissive response to women who were accusing Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of assault, she was candid in her view that the women who accuse men, including the president himself, of sexual misconduct “should be heard.”
Some of these incidents have infuriated the president, who has nevertheless maintained a friendly relationship with Haley while griping to associates behind her back.
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Haley’s advocates on Capitol Hill were not happy to see the Trump administration wipe away Haley’s declaration, worried a trend could develop that has the rest of the world doubting her words.
“It doesn’t help her credibility if, whenever she gets out there and is articulating the administration and the United States’ position, to have somebody undercut that,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 GOP leader.
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Nikki Haley made it clear that unlike other Trump cabinet members or advisers she will not suffer humiliations or depredations. How that will play in the White House yet to be seen, w @burgessev https://t.co/XxHHcx7g1E
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) April 18, 2018
Senior admin official confirms to CNN that the Trump Admin informed the Russian embassy on Sunday that there would not be another round of sanctions for now.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 18, 2018
My respect for her just increased substantially. I always liked her. Even more so now. More need to take her example and put their foot down with Trump’s nonsense.
Of course Putin has given Trump his orders and Trump is very fearful of pushing Putin too far. Trump couldn’t make that more obvious and it seems that our Congress should be more concerned about this than they are.
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