(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)In an Oval Office announcement on Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump revealed that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will be leaving her post at the end of 2018. Almost immediately, rumors began to swirl that Ivanka Trump could be a top choice to replace Haley. Then, Ivanka made a stunning announcement on the matter.
President Donald Trump announced UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s resignation in the Oval Office on Tuesday, saying, “She has done a fantastic job and we’ve done a fantastic job together. We’ve solved a lot of problems and we’re in the process of solving a lot of problems.”
Trump added that he is willing to welcome Haley back in any capacity within the Trump administration, although Haley said that she will be moving to the private sector after leaving her post at the UN.
As Trump and Haley spoke together via a joint press conference regarding the ambassador’s resignation, Haley praised the efforts of Ivanka Trump as the president’s daughter looked on. “I can’t say enough good things about Jared and Ivanka [Trump],” said Haley. “Jared is such a hidden genius that no one understands,” she added, giving Kushner credit for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) deal last week.
Haley also called Ivanka Trump a “great friend,” saying, “They do a lot of things behind the scenes that I wish more people knew about. We’re a better country because they’re in this administration.”
Haley’s unabashed praise for Ivanka led many to speculate that perhaps the first daughter would be stepping into Haley’s role in short order. Fuel was added to that fire when conservative pundit Ann Coulter tweeted, “Trump should replace Nikki Haley with Ivanka.”
Trump should replace Nikki Haley with Ivanka.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) October 9, 2018
As the rumors continued to swirl, President Trump spoke on the matter, saying he would likely decide on Haley’s replacement within the next two or three weeks. Trump noted that Ivanka would be “wonderful” as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. But while he believed his daughter would be a good replacement for Haley, he said he would be accused of violating nepotism laws if Ivanka was given the job.
Donald Trump told reporters at the White House before embarking on Marine One that his daughter, Ivanka, would be ‘incredible’ for the role of US ambassador to the UN but he would face accusations of nepotism if he selected her. ‘I’m not sure there’s anybody more competent in the world, but that’s OK,’ the US president said. ‘But we are looking at numerous people.’ Nikki Haley announced her resignation from the post earlier in the day. [Source: The Guardian]
Ivanka herself also dispelled the rumors surrounding Haley’s resignation, tweeting, “It is an honor to serve in the White House alongside so many great colleagues and I know that the President will nominate a formidable replacement for Ambassador Haley. That replacement will not be me.”
It is an honor to serve in the White House alongside so many great colleagues and I know that the President will nominate a formidable replacement for Ambassador Haley. That replacement will not be me.
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 9, 2018
White House officials have floated the idea of giving Haley’s job to either former deputy national security advisor Dina Powell or current U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell. Powell worked for nearly a year in the White House with former national security advisor H.R. McMaster. Grenell previously served as a longtime U.S. spokesman at the UN during the Bush administration and has been a vocal supporter of the Trump agenda.
While much is uncertain regarding Haley’s replacement at the moment, one thing is definitely for sure: Whoever steps into her position will have some mighty big shoes to fill. Who would you like to see replace Nikki Haley as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations?
