UN Ambassador Nikki Haley to step down in December
WASHINGTON — The announcement on Tuesday that Nikki Haley soon plans to step down as ambassador to the United Nations underscores the degree to which President Donald Trump has surrounded himself with advisers willing to press his nationalist “America first” agenda, leaving her on the periphery of policymaking.
Haley’s departure, effective at the end of the year, is yet another sign that Trump is feeling freer to act more boldly, even unilaterally, as many of the administration officials he believed were trying to thwart him in his first year have been replaced by men with Trump’s trust, notably Michael R. Pompeo and John Bolton.
Though the announcement caught many in the administration by surprise, Trump said Haley told him six months ago that she planned to leave after serving two years in the post. He said he would name a successor within the next two or three weeks.
Their earlier discussion about her exit plans would roughly coincide with a period of staff changes that diminished Haley’s clout within the administration, when Trump appointed Pompeo as secretary of state and Bolton as national security adviser. Both men have larger personalities, more aggressive policy agendas and closer ties to Trump than their predecessors, Rex Tillerson and H.R. McMaster, respectively.
Haley has had to run issues by the two men before going public. Previously, she had enjoyed relative autonomy. It was also widely rumored at the time that she had wanted the secretary of state job, and there was considerable tension between her and Pompeo — and even more with Bolton.
Speculation immediately swirled on whom Trump will appoint as Haley’s replacement. Though Trump praised his daughter Ivanka Trump’s qualifications, he said that choosing her would invite controversy; she later tweeted she would not replace Haley. Late Tuesday, the president told reporters on Air Force One that he had a short list of five candidates, including Dina Powell, his former deputy national security adviser, who reportedly spent the weekend with Haley.
He said he would consider Richard Grenell, current ambassador to Germany, but that Grenell is not on the list and he’d “rather keep Ric where he is.” Grenell has antagonized allies in Europe, openly supporting right-wing parties there.
Trump could also choose to appoint his sonin-law, Jared Kushner. Haley lavishly praised Kushner and Ivanka Trump during her exit remarks, asserting that Kushner has been a “hidden genius that no one understands” as an adviser to the president on trade and Middle East policy.
With Bolton gaining prominence, the U.N. ambassadorship may be downgraded below Cabinet level, making the lines of authority clearer. Bolton detests the U.N. and most global institutions.
Trump effusively praised Haley, telling reporters, “She’s done a fantastic job, and we’ve done a fantastic job together.” He said he’d be happy to have her back in another position.
Haley made clear she wants to make more money. In her resignation letter, dated Oct. 3, she told Trump that “as a businessman, I expect you will appreciate my sense that returning from government to the private sector is not a step down but a step up.”
Her personal financial disclosure form reveals two credit card debts — one ranging between $15,001 and $50,000 and another ranging between $10,001 and $15,000 — as well as a line of credit between $250,001 and $500,000.
Haley’s announcement marked a rare example of a senior Trump administration official making a graceful exit. The president said she brought glamour and prestige to the position. He allowed her to address reporters from the Oval Office, seated beside him in matching yellow chairs — a break from the abrupt tweets Trump often has used to announce staff changes.
Haley, in turn, thanked Trump and praised his wife, daughter and son-in-law before mentioning her own family. She also moved quickly to squelch speculation about her political ambitions.
“No, I am not running in 2020,” she said without being asked, adding she would campaign for Trump’s re-election.
Haley, who called herself a “lucky girl,” said she was leaving because she needed to take time out after an intense six years, four as governor of South Carolina followed by two tumultuous years at the U.N.
She has served at the U.N. since the start of Trump’s presidency. In her first year she benefited enormously from the vacuum left by Tillerson, veteran diplomat Aaron David Miller said in a tweet: “Now with Pompeo and Bolton around the job is no longer fun.”
Ian Bremmer, president of the analytical Eurasia Group, said Haley’s departure is a “big loss” for the administration. “Easily one of the most capable and successful appointees in the administration,” he tweeted.
With Trump beside her, Haley praised the effectiveness of his foreign policy efforts, which have drawn widespread criticism. “Now, the United States is respected,” she said. “Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do.”