Haley’s exit sparks US foreign policy contest
The coming departure of Nikki Haley as US ambassador to the United Nations has sparked a new round of competition inside the top ranks of the Trump administration – a contest not just for a job but also for greater influence and control over the direction of US foreign policy in the second half of President Donald Trump’s first term.
Yesterday, Haley seemed to pull off what few senior Trump administration officials so far have been able to achieve: an honourable exit. How she did it could be a model for others looking to leave the Trump team with their dignity and political viability intact. Haley organised her departure with the White House, praised Trump in a joint news conference, promised (in writing) not to challenge his political interests and thereby was able to depart on her own terms. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis must be taking copious notes.
By orchestrating her exit as she did, Haley avoided the humiliation Trump heaped on Rex Tillerson (fired while sitting on the toilet in Africa), H.R. Mcmaster (negotiated a planned departure with a promotion but got pushed out sans promotion after many leaks), Tom Bossert (did everything right but fell victim to bureaucratic assassination by national security adviser John Bolton) and Reince Priebus (fired by tweet and unceremoniously kicked out of the presidential motorcade).
But now the internal battle to replace Haley is on, and its result will tell us who has the upper hand in crafting foreign policy in what could be the last two years of the Trump administration.
Internally, two camps are emerging. Former deputy national security adviser Dina Powell seems to be the frontrunner. She is close to Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and the others sometimes referred to derisively as the ‘‘West Wing Democrats.’’ A Goldman Sachs executive with State Department experience, she would enjoy support from those who seek a more Wall Street-friendly, trade-friendly, internationalist foreign policy going forward.
Powell is also said to have earned the trust of the president during her time in the White House and delivered Trump some significant wins, including the safe return of American hostages from Egypt and the administration’s close relationship with Egypt and the Persian Gulf States.
Bolton is expected to push for an alternative candidate, though it’s not yet clear who that would be. Bolton has been consolidating power and exerting increasing influence over decision-making regarding national security personnel, with the help of his skilled deputy Mira Ricardel. Bolton is said to want a conservative hawk, someone more in line with his plans to continue challenging international institutions and international agreements. –