Haley resigning as UN envoy

Trump: Daughter Ivanka not in running for post

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Tuesday she will step down at the end of the year, an unexpected departure as the administration makes fundamental changes to U.S. policy abroad. Haley, a former South Carolina governor who became one of the most prominent women in Trump’s Cabinet, helped the president embrace a more isolationist approach while delivering a steady message when White House policy was unclear. The move, less than a month before the midterm elections, set off rampant speculation about who would fill the Senate-confirmed position. Trump dismissed the idea of appointing his daughter Ivanka and confirmed he would consider Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser. Initially a critic of Trump, Haley

maintained high standing in the administration despite occasional disagreements with the president that spilled into public view. She is a potential candidate for higher office – including for president – an idea she downplayed during a meeting with Trump at the White House. “She’s done a fantastic job, and we’ve done a fantastic job together,” Trump said. “We’ve solved a lot of problems.” The daughter of immigrants from India, Haley was a South Carolina legislator who rode a wave of tea party movement support to win the governor’s race in 2010. She won re-election in 2014 but cut her second term short to join Trump’s diplomatic team. Although she’s one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, there has been friction between the two. In April, White House aides criticized Haley for getting ahead of the administration in announcing Russia sanctions. Haley bristled at top economic adviser Larry Kudlow’s suggestion that the U.N. ambassador had “momentary confusion” over the issue. “With all due respect, I don’t get confused,” Haley replied. The U.N. ambassador said she had a “personal conversation” with Trump after he suggested both sides were responsible for violence that broke out at a white nationalist demonstration last year in Charlottesville, Virginia. A counterdemonstrator was killed by a car driven by a man who had expressed neo-Nazi beliefs. Brett Bruen, who was global engagement director in President Barack Obama’s administration, said Haley’s resignation was a “significant blow” to Trump’s ability to execute foreign policy. He said U.N. ambassadors normally stay for a full term, in part because it takes time to build the relationships and trust needed to be successful. “At the U.N., it’s not a situation where you get to parachute in and effect immediate change,” Bruen said. “For her to walk away halfway through that process leaves the United States vulnerable at a very serious time.” Trump said the search for a replacement would begin immediately, but his daughter, a White House aide, wouldn’t be in the running because he didn’t want to be accused of nepotism. Haley rejected talk of her own presidential campaign and said she intends to support Trump for re-election. “No. I am not running in 2020,” she said. Haley described her legacy as helping to change the way the United States is viewed in the world. “Now, the United States is respected,” Haley said. “Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do. They know that if we say we’re going to do something, we follow it through.”

EPA-EFE President Donald Trump says he and Nikki Haley did “a fantastic job.”