I used to work with someone who reminds me Nikki Haley. She created a toxic working environment. Many people quit, including me.
7
Thanks for seeing through this craven political creature who would happily sell out our country and the future of the planet for her own benefit. There she is all over TV and radio, blowing kisses from the Lindsay Graham float in the Gaslighting Bootlickers Parade.
I was sickened hearing her "well I never saw him treat women with anything but respect" answer on NPR yesterday, using her own powerful-woman stature to give cover to Trump's profoundly disrespectful - and sometimes criminal - mistreatment of women. And really, what kind of parent supports throwing their own kids - and everyone else's - onto the bonfire by pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement - the ONLY country in the world to do so? You'd expect it from Trump because he's so damaged and nuts and self-serving. But now she's right there with him, advocating all the same crazy stuff he does, but doing it in an affable, sensible sounding voice, making his nihilism feel like another reasonable choice. This whole book tour is one of the ugliest acts of political pandering I have ever seen. Even Anthony Scaramucci and Michael Cohen have more character than Nikki Haley. She's right down there with Rudy G. Repulsive.
18
Does Niki Haley have no shame?
15
Mrs. Haley, in her interviews tried to compartmentalize all her answers. The President was truthful to her, so he doesn't lie.(he lies constantly). They got the aid (Bolton hurriedly sent the aid to Ukraine once news of the whistleblower came forth), so no harm was done. They didn't even know it was withheld (they did). She worked well with him (until she quit).
Her words are hollow and inauthentic, because she knows better and she knows we know better. She's pandering shamelessly buying a whole hog when a little bacon should suffice.
16
Getting out of the Paris Climate Accord was one of the smartest things this president has done. Sorry if Michelle Cottle is too dim to realize it.
1
She removed her state flag and used it to march with a racist!
4
Nikki is worthless to the GOP except for the value she brings as a woman and a person of color. She’s empty headed, soulless and mean spirited. Her defense of Trump is no surprise. She also thinks she’s above the law and just that much better than the rest of us. As Governor of SC, she made it clear that women and other lesser humans need not apply!
6
What happens to politicians who are from South Carolina? Haley, Graham, Mulvaney, Thurmond, Sanford, Goudy, Calhoun...What a bunch of miscreants. I always wondered about people who studied economics at Dartmouth as well, The Chicago School, I get that, but Dartmouth?
2
Pretty much a cop out of a column.
Ms. Cottle's article ignores a particular concept and is missing a key word that doesn't appear anywhere in the article. The word is voter. And the concept is that Americans went to the polls in Nov. 2016 and elected Donald Trump to be the President. He didn't hide who he was, he wasn't shy about what he intended to do. And after a year of debates with 16 other Republicans and then Hillary Clinton, the majority of voters in 30 of the 50 states elected him to be chief executive. That's the way our democracy works and the way the Constitution outlines it. And from the day after the election members of the Democrat party and members of the main stream media have talked about and sought to undo that election by impeaching President Trump. So Dems and appointees need to either show impeachable acts, as defined by the Constitution that are worthy of removing a duly elected president for the first time in our 238 year history, or they need to be content to fight their disagreements with him politically, again as defined by the Constitution, or stop undermining him doing the things he was elected to do. To do otherwise not only undermines him, it undermines the Constitutional right of the voters to select and elect their leaders. Nikki Haley understands the gravity and danger of undermining the Constitutional right of the voters.
2
Trump is a lunatic, who has lied to you repeatedly, cheated you, and would go to any length to serve himself. His actions in Ukraine make him a traitor to his country. He should be charged with treason.
14
She's simply trying to solidify her position with Trump's base for '24. She along with others, Pence, Graham will claim the mantel of Trump.
6
Another Republican defending the president when she should be defending the presidency. If she aligns herself with Trump, she is telling everyone she can be just as nasty and brutish as he is if she is elected (as dogcatcher or president ).
10
Another phony selling a book.
7
I'm pretty sure Haley is plenty smart enough to understand what a threat Trump is to the Constitution and American democracy generally -- which makes her willingness to ignore that threat in service to her political ambition even worse than her hypocrisy.
16
Who, in their right minds, seriously claim that the president has so much as a clue about what he is doing? Not Nikki Haley, I'd wager the whole farm in a nonosecond.
But Nikki Haley knows full well what SHE is doing. She is on a bee-line for an eight-year lease on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, calculating every word, every gesture, every move as she goes forward.
If that means throwing the country under the bus in favor a national sell-out to the USSR (v.2), kicking dreamers out of the country, betraying our military partners, shaking down our allies, and treating our national treasury as a family ATM, well then, that's just the price of admission.
11
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is no longer at the bottom of my list of who might become the first woman President.
Nikki Haley, has replaced her at the bottom of my list with her clueless support and allegiance to Trump, the man who would be King.
8
Who cares what she says. She's just another Trump minion setting herself up to latch onto him. VP?
4
"They thought they had to" undermine Trump?! That is so outrageous and self-serving and elitist I could puke. Who the heck gives unelected employees the right to decide what is right, decide where things should go? Wonder what they did to Bush and we didn't even know. Obviously they loved Obama, media never said a word to vet him and anything he said was fawned over. Makes me sick that someone can be elected and the people that work for them, for us all, can decide who's good and who's bad.
I know the current Dem party believes they are the saviors and the entire country should be Dem, but that arrogance has this voter leaving their corner. NEITHER PARTY IS INFALLIBLE, INNOCENT, OR RIGHTEOUS.
The problem is Nikki Haley is Trump's up and coming sycophant. She's gunning to be Trump's Vice Presidential Candidate in the 2020 Presidential Election. I have lost ALL respect for her. Trash... it disgusts me but I have to acknowledge that women are just as capable of vapid bootlicking as men. What is happening to this country is disgusting and tragic.
11
No, actually she just volunteered to become part of the problem as VP in a second term.
She is a nakedly ambitious viper, a perfect character to join the demented inhabitant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
11
Ms. Haley is a snitch.
6
Haley is the worst kind of Trump suckup. She is hoping to win a vice-presidential position from her disgusting support for Trump's criminal and immoral behavior. Prissy, vicious and immoral, that qualifies her for the job of riding shotgun with a man like Donald Trump.
8
Mrs. Haley,
FYI integrity is not a cereal and your speech is lacking morality. You really disappoint.
5
Quid pro quo in print.
2
She just blew her career. There seems to be a touch of naivete in her approach. This ain't small town America, Nikki. You'll have to brighton it up a bit, raise it up a notch in the Smart Department. As Trump wets his chops.
3
Her book is nothing but an infomercial for herself. "Gee, look what I did when I didn't want to be a part of this clown show. I resigned, so what I did was the best thing a person could do. Since I'm so smart, elect me..."
Then she drives the clown car over Tillerson and Kelly. Who, I can believe felt that reigning in the impulses of the madman-in-chief were an absolute duty to protect the country.
Her self-serving abuse of good men and her trivial treatment of these events is disgusting. Her amorality is rampant here.
It does beg the question, "what does she want?" Just to get richer? Sell books? Be a hero? Or since her morality fits so well with the GOP's playbook, it appears she's building a bridge back to an office. I hope impeachment and 2020 destroy her bridge. We don't need more soulless sycophants.
12
Nikkie Haley seems like a smart woman. Working at the UN she had the benefit of some distance from Trump. And she abandoned Trump when things started getting really rocky. Now she's heard Pence may be following the rest of Trump castoffs. What better way to get the inside track on the VP position than write a book that Trump will love.
2
Nikki Haley probably thinks she's clever, but she's not. She is obviously willing to put party over country and that will be someone few will forget.
4
So she sees her job as mouthpiece of her President?
We are all in trouble if the crew on the ship’s Bridge refuse to advise the Captain if the Iceberg is clearly in the Ship’s path
84
@Paul Torcello they probably tell him it’s a ice cube crated for his Diet Coke by the ice gods as a professional courtesy..
3
Bribery is impeachable. Extortion is impeachable. Yes, this may be quite acceptable behaviour in the jungle, the business world, where your misfortune is my fortune, and it's not illegal there, a tad shady, maybe, but hey! that's business, baby. Ergo the ethics of business: Caveat Emptor. The American Constitution, on the other hand, protects Americans from high-crimes and misdemeanors perpetrated in federal politics by those given consent to govern. Bribery. Extortion. Not for the good of America in any sense, but for personal gain. Different particulars, but the same deal with A-G Barr. When you swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, and then you don't act unimpeachably, then that's impeachable. But I'm no expert. I dunno. You tell me.
3
@David Brook Bribery and extortion is, I agree, accepted in the jungle and the business world... as you write... but "acceptable"? I don't think so.
2
Yes, officials should have resigned and gone public, but to what end?
It's essentially impossible to remove a President, even when he's clearly broken the law and worked against the Constitution, as this one has.
There's what "should" be done and what has a prayer of being effective, and those two don't always align, as they don't in this case. Have they been even a little effective? There's no way to know.
With this book, Nikki destroys her credibility for good. How is she different from Lindsey Graham? She would like to be VP and President. But where is her moral compass? Trump tried to commit a crime but it did not go through so he is innocent. Another enabler who gives the impression that she resisted but actually she did not. Nikki, please try to find another day job.
462
@Sandy: I am with you....she is as egocentric as her previous boss. Makes me sick!
13
@Sandy
Trump did commit a crime, not only tried to.
12
@Sandy. Halle vs Ivanka for the first female president. What a choice. We should be so lucky!
1
Nikki Haley reminds of a scene in the movie "Joe and the Volcano" where Hanks' boss is on the phone repeating the same phrase with a variety of inflections, "I know he can get the job BUT can he DO the job."
My thing about Haley is I know she can get the job but her history shows she can't do the job.
1
Haley is a perfect example of what is wrong with the Republican party. She knows that Trump is violating his oath of office and breaking the law on a daily basis, but she panders to his cult and is only concerned with self promotion.
5
I moved back to SC when Haley was still governor. The only thing I saw her do right was to take down the Confederate flag at the SC State House after the Charleston murders. She's an opportunist and she's using this book to make her case for her presidential run. But people should know she's a poor administrator who left SC with poor roads because she was afraid to raise the lowest state gasoline taxes in the nation. She is second-rate at best. Ignore her.
5
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley defended Trump on the impeachment process:
I'm sure Trump would be very happy with her perhaps saying.... "Thank you Ambassador Haley, you may rise now. As I am the chosen one, I shall henceforth let you be known as Saint Nikki. Now go forth amongst the uneducated people of this 'great again nation' and extole my virtues as the most handsome, honest and brilliant president in its entire history."
2
I had to go back and read a transcript of Nikki Haley's rebuttal of President Obama's State of The Union address (Jan 2016). It's worth re-reading the transcript in context with what she says about the current president, who I want to highlight lost the popular vote.
Here is some of the transcript;
"We are facing the most dangerous terrorist threat our nation has seen since September 11th, and this president appears either unwilling or unable to deal with it."
"If we held the White House, taxes would be lower for working families, and we’d put the brakes on runaway spending and debt."
"We would end a disastrous health care program, and replace it with reforms that lowered costs and actually let you keep your doctor."
"We would recognize the importance of the separation of powers and honor the Constitution in its entirety. And yes, that includes the Second and Tenth Amendments."
"Our forefathers paved the way for us.
Let’s take their values, and their strengths, and rededicate ourselves to doing whatever it takes to keep America the greatest country in the history of man. And woman."
Interesting choice of words in context with today.
Remember Remember the 3rd of November - Remember ALL of her lies.
11
Nikki Haley does what's good for Nikki Haley.
6
Ms Haley is clearly trying to play both sides of the fence here and position herself for a future presidential run. But if the alleged discussion did in fact take place why didn’t she discuss it with both Tillerson and Kelly and indicate that she could not join them. Instead she waited until she could use this tidbit to sell books. I think it’s disgraceful to throw the fifth in line for the Presidency and a decorated high ranking general under the bus to curry favor with “Daddy.”
4
"to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want. And it was offensive.”"
I think you mispelled "Electoral College" as "American people".
14
At least she is right up front about her sycophancy.
Per Maya Angelou's dictum, Ms. Haley is clearly saying
Who She Is.
8
Wow Ms. Haley, you really want to sell books and become Vice President. Talk about blind ambition!
Ms. Haley knew she was not telling the truth when she was asked about Trumps constant lies. Note that she quickly tried to say that Trump had not lied to her. Nice deflection!
On the question of Trump's mental health and unstable conduct, neither Ms. Haley nor I are qualified to diagnose the depth of Trump's mental health problems. However,
Ms. Haley should do like I did and take the time to listen to the numerous qualified health professionals that have come to the conclussion that Trump is mentally ill and needs immediate help.
If Ms. Haley NEVER SAW Trump's abhorent conduct and the deviations from behavioral norms that allow us to function as a civil sociaty, than Ms. Haley should return all the salary she was paid during her tenure, because she purpusefully looked the other way while the US Constitution was trampled by Trump and the rest of his inablers.
Please take your earnings from this book and find yourself another line of work. There is no demand for another unethical politician in DC.
9
So Haley has no issue with a president who routinely would commit any crime or do anything unconstitutional. Where, exactly is your moral limit, Haley?
6
Nikki Haley has no respect for truth. She is vile.
12
Nikki Haley has mastered the art of distraction from the real issue, it's clear. Her contortions to support Trump while expressing careful, limited reservations about him all but shout that she sees his failings as clearly as anyone but will not antagonize his unshakable base by saying so.
When she runs again for public office, as I'm sure she will, voters must ask her hard questions about exactly what she embraced and what she rejected of Trump's deeds and words. She must give unambiguous answers if she's to gain any trust from me. We'll then see whether anyone can make a cogent set of principles out of his amorality, erratic impulsiveness, greed, and contempt for truth.
So far, she's not doing a bang-up job of convincing me she's fit for high office: she has shown more brains than honor. If you mistrusted Bill Clinton for precisely that reason, you understand how I feel about Haley.
3
She would be a wonderful President. What she is doing is running over a second time those who have already been thrown under the bus. It would be absolutely ludicrous for her to take on Trump if she wanted to ever lead the country one day as President. It sucks, but there it is. Because voters and elections matter. She would be fresh air in comparison to the stale stench we have from the WH now. Nikki Haley 2024!!!
@No big deal
yeah, might as well be a good Samaritan. Wouldn't want those who've been thrown under the bus to suffer too much. Better to run over them again and make sure they're dead.
She’ll never get my vote. Ever.
4
The high officials who tried to save the country from Trump are gone now. Trump was elected to dismantle the deep state, and he is now doing so. Together with the Republicans he so successfully dominates, he has also disabled and dismantled the oversight power of Congress.
Fortunately or unfortunately, countries with a subservient and corrupt bureaucracy can still be as successful as Russia is, if not as successful as China.
Nikki Haley drank the Trump Kool-Aid and she decided to commit the ultimate Republican sin: she stabbed her fellow teammates in the back all for the sake of selling a book. I don't know how someone defines "sellout" any better than that.
These people have no SHAME, and that is what is utterly remarkable. They prove time and time again, they do not deserve our votes. They do not deserve to be in power.
5
Nikki Haley didn't watch the Daily Show interview where the reporter commented to the vote snatcher "You know we can hear you, right?" The excerpt from the article follows:
She told The Washington Post. “Do I think the president did something that warrants impeachment? No, because the aid flowed. And, in turn, the Ukrainians didn’t follow up with the investigation.”
As Ms. Haley sees it, the president may have tried to subvert national security for his own political end, but he failed, so where’s the harm?
Nikki Haley needs to fill in knowledge voids on the context of the Constitution and the Federalist Papers before she issues statements without any foundation, reasoning, or underlying facts. I refer Nikki Haley to the 12th and 25th Amendments, the historical English law on high crimes and misdemeanors, bribery; I refer Nikki Haley to pick up Mafia code and compare Bribery in the Constitution to "shakedown." Nikki Haley is not ready for prime time.
10
The purpose of her book is to give her creds to run for other offices in the future. President Haley? By playing up to Trump, she hopes to get his support. We all know what his support leads to for many people--- being thrown under the bus. No doubt her primary audience was him.
2
@Blue Guy in Red State You are correct. She would be ludicrous to take on Trump who is positioning himself to be a party kingmaker even after he leaves office. Haley would be fresh air in the WH compared to the stale stench that is emanating currently. President Haley 2024!
1
I would find Haley's argument (that Trump should not be thwarted because he was selected and elected by the people) more persuasive if it were not increasingly obvious that he obtained those votes under false pretenses by lying about his past and his intentions for how he would behave as president. Voters who truly understand the Constitution and the checks and balances that are supposed to protect our system from abuse and corruption by ensuring that only a person who acknowledges the importance of the public trust and lives up to that fiduciary standard would not have elected a person who opposes those standards at every opportunity. People who "thwart" Trump are upholding their own oaths to uphold the Constitution. They did NOT vow to uphold the president.
2
her moral myopia is distressing and disappointing.....
I somehow expected more from her...oh well, I continue to be underwhelmed by those who seek to represent me
when will moral courage be the coin of the realm ?
7
@ZEMAN When was it ever? It definitely wasn't in medieval times, back when they used terms like "coin of the realm" commonly.
I've made up my mind about after her 'I am Taking Names' strong arm tactics at the United Nations.
For her to resurface at this juncture instead of laying low and hoping people would forget and forgive her shows she is only a notch above Sarah Palin.
5
A notch above Palin? I'd put them at an even moral standing. All Haley has to offer is a family that, for now, stands accused of no crimes.
6
@Walter Lipman Palin and Haley both seem to be overly-ambitious and underqualified
1
People take a great deal of what they believe about the US solely on the basis of faith.
1
Former presidential hopeful Nikki Haley regrets saying that it is okay to try and kill somebody as long as you don't succeed. She also regrets suggesting that people who disagree with a president need not apply because it would undermine them. Ms. Haley also has great confidence that former president Trump will have learned his lesson when he is released from federal prison and that the confiscation of his properties will help minimize the drain his presidency put on the tax payers.
1
Waldo—Would for me, too, except all would have happened if whistleblower hadn’t surfaced. Trump broke the law by asking, just as if I’d be arrested for hiring a hit man to get the ex-husband but got caught making the deal with the FBI.
2
She said, that there was no pressure, the aid was released and no investigation was launched against the Bidens. Simple. It works for me.
Yes, 'simple' is an apt descriptor of your analysis.
1
@waldo To conspire to disobey the law (as Trump did) is a crime even if one is too inept to make the conspiracy succeed.
1
I thought she was smart. Then I saw her on 60 Minutes. I’ve lost some respect for her. She has blinders on when it comes to Trump. She said since the Ukraine did not do what Trump asked then no harm no foul. She has demonstrated a lack of integrity. It’s good she is staying out of politics. Thank goodness.
8
She made herself look foolish, "telling on Mr. Tillerson and General Kelly, even though, they are shady, she's more shadier....IJS.
5
Before Nikki Haley's book came out, I had thought that she had an interest in centrist politics and in the survival of our democracy. With her telling of her dismissive comments in response to pleas for help in dealing with the ignorant, impulsive, cruel, self-interested autocrat, Trump, she has destroyed her position. She obviously doesn't care about this country anymore than Trump does. I find that I cannot stand to even look at her face any longer.
16
Her statement in the fourth paragraph in the article points to the problem with Nikki Haley. “Tillerson went on to tell me the reason he resisted the president’s decisions was because, if he didn’t, people would die.” Ms. Haley makes clear that what disturbed her was Mr. Tillerson’s and Mr. Kelly’s arrogance.
She should have been more rightly disturbed by their concerns that “Tillerson went on to tell me the reason he resisted the president’s decisions was because, if he didn’t, people would die.”
12
Memo to Nikki Haley: Don't think Darling Donald will pick you for his 2020 running mate: his "base" won't have anything to do with the daughter of immigrants. And by the way, do you find anything amiss in Trump's comments about and actions toward immigrants? If not, why not? And if so, have you raised your concerns with him?
10
President Trump has made mistakes, of course. Perhaps he has violated the law, as President Obama surely did in the Lois Lerner IRS scandal, using the IRS for political purposes. And yes, President Trump has fibbed to us, yet no lie was bigger than "if you like your health insurance yo can keep it."
Trump is no more of a deceitful politician than Obama or Biden. However, here's the rub; mainstream so-called "journalists" generally agree with the Obama and Biden political viewpoint, left of center to left wing, and generally disagree with Republican viewpoints.
The result? An enormous double standard, obvious to all reasonable observers, a sad development indeed.
@Stew R Trump does not have a Republican viewpoint. He has a what's good for Trump viewpoint only. He lies so much about issues large and small that I believe he does not care about truth, facts, evidence, etc.
@Stew R
You forgot to mention the Obama 'apology tour', also he didn't really 'get' Bin Laden, and he once wore a tan suit, nearly an impeachable offense in the Republican Twilight Zone. do your homework
1
@Stew R
Your sense of proportion needs some help. Trump is no "fibber". He is a pathological liar of the worst sort.
"Better healthcare, cheaper healthcare Day One" is a huge lie. And that was 13K lies ago.
A president abusing his office by leveraging our election is CRIMINAL. End of story.
2
Haley destroys her own credibility by making the pathetic argument that Trump is exonerated because his gross abuse of power failed to achieve its goal. She should heed her own admonition to Kelly and Tillerson and confront the President, resign from supporting him, and go public with her concerns.
She is an intelligent woman. She knows that failing to carry out a crime is not a defense of the the attempt. But she wants to be president someday, and is apparently willing to pander to Trump and his base.
Haley was willing to differ with Trump at times, most notably when she condemned the Russian attack on the 2016 election. Now, in the midst of a looming constitutional crisis, her dithering is really indefensible.
6
As with many of the Republican congresspersons, it is best to ignore the duplicitous Nikki Haley. Their motives are self promotion through disingenuous support for a criminal president. Continuous press coverage enable them to influence others. Ignoring their unrelated rants, false incriminations, and obfuscation deprived them of the free public platform they crave.
6
Haley is polishing her bona fides for 2024. That fact, anyone can plainly see. What's a bit more obscure is what will she do to get there. I don't doubt Tillerson and Kelly had concerns about Trump's lack of analytical skills and volatile petulant personality. What I do doubt is that Haley didn't, she's a big girl and knows aberrant behavior. What they suggested is unclear, but, how she responded is what troubles me. There is a desperate need for any president to have voices of reason nearby, for her to dismiss this as disloyalty is to pander to Trump's base. While simultaneously making her look like a true defender of our electoral system. Sorry Nikki, you were there, you knew he was wacko, you told the inmate his handlers were out to get him, then you left to write your book and do the talk show circuit and tell America about your "values." What a piece of work. I'd almost prefer Pence.
7
Just a hunch; I think Mr. Anonymous is Mr. Kelly. Thanks goodness someone is being brutally honest.
2
What's the point of waiting this long and then tattling?
Haley knows as well as anyone that Trump is incompetent and corrupt. She's right that Tillerson and Kelly suggested the wrong remedy—but so did she. Trump, in his ignorance and self-interest, not to mention his allegiance to Putin, doesn't listen to anyone.
How dare she fault those two for not speaking up in public while remaining silent herself?
9
ALL the shamelessly self-promoting Haley cares about is HER OWN political career!
If toadying up to Trump as a member of his "administration" and defending him now is the price she thinks she needs to pay for a shot at power, she's all too glad to do that!
6
Not to be facetious, but why should we care what Haley thinks about Trump?
4
Haley spoke, "“Kelly and Tillerson confided in me..."
Lesson One: Never ever speak to Nikki Haley "in confidence" or "confide in her" – she doesn't know the meaning of the word or grasp the concept –
5
"But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want. And it was offensive.”
And yet, it was Republicans who impeached Bill Clinton for a sexual peccadillo.
7
Haley is one slick Trumpette. She will make money from her book and is garnering support from the deplorables for her future ambitions. I am all for respect for the mentally ill but there comes a time when you may to intervene to prevent a disastrous consequence. Haley knows this president is incompetent. She timed this book to coincide with the impeachment inquiry to curry favor with the Trumpists. Nikki, please take early retirement you can't fool me.
8
“It goes against what the American people want.”
Wrong, Nikki!
Trump did not win the popular vote. The American people did not want him. The majority voted to elect Hilary.
10
How does one determine who's telling the truth in the Republican party? Haley says Tillerson approached her; Tillerson, this morning, says he didn't. Conclusion, it's hard, if not impossible, to believe any Republican.
5
Nikki Haley is a corrupt cowardly dishonorable unpatriotic moral degenerate who looked the other way when white supremacist prejudiced bigotry reigned and ruled while she was Governor of South Carolina aka center of the Confederate States of America and the Ku Klux Klan and White Citizens Councils and white evangelical Christians.
Nikki Haley is the brown daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants. Unlike the brown aboriginal 1st nations inhabitants of America and the enslaved black Africans who were not immigrants.
Nikki Haley and her fellow Indian American Bobbie Jindal foolishly believe that they will get a white European American Judeo-Christian 'pass' to be honorary Aryans. Good luck with that!
Too bad Haley and Jindal couldn't have joined Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Steve Mnuchin, Stephen Miller and Larry Kudlow at Charlottesville.
7
Again I ask, Nikki Who ? Quit giving her oxygen.
8
Honestly, I think I prefer people like Trump, McConnell and others who are in your face opportunists and dissemblers.
Nikki Haley is showing herself to be a smarmy, have it both ways, self-serving operative.
So she objects to the "sidebar" of administrative officials trying to prevent some of the more outrageous, dangerous and illegal actions of the president, but Trump's/Giuliani's sidebar "diplomacy" initiatives get a pass.
9
I thought she had integrity. She can chose to keep it or suck up to Trump in order to further her own ambitions and please his supporters. Not the first time in history it has happened.
2
If she can't see or understand extortion and bribery in this latest debacle, then she should be out of politics. What trump did and admitted is unconstitutional. She is willing to lie for him, just like her fellow republicans. She remained a republican as her leader confessed to groping women and claiming a former president was not born in America and bribing a foreign leader to get dirt on an opponent and taking us out of the climate accord and paid off a porn star and plays pretty with dictators.
Are Haley and Kellyanne next door neighbors, sharing cups of sugar and lies?
7
"Should we impeach Trump?" "No, because nothing happened. The aid flowed."
Then let's just release every criminal the FBI has ever caught before a murder, financial crime, or terrorist act they were planning was committed. Because conspiracy to murder or steal isn't a crime - until you do it and are caught.
Organized criminals, terrorists, murderers, and fraudsters - plan away with impunity! Until ya do the deed - no biggie!
9
Nikki Haley is a power/party before country right wing extremist GOPer. She always has been: she just looks normal.
8
Nikki Haley is nothing more than a zombie sycophant. Always has been. She's never been qualified for any jobs she's been given--it's the Peter Principle, and dependent upon the mindless loyalty of the moment. I hope this stupid, anti-American, move will finally be the end of her, and her awful "party".
7
I didn't know that Ms. Haley was this ambitious...as to sell her soul, for the sake of a criminal bully named Donald J. Trump, just because of being a shrewd liar, a racist, xenophobe and misogynous to his core. How low can one bend without breaking? I know she is not unique, just ask the Lindsey Grahams of this world.
9
Trump and his supporters are like the head of a crime family (mafia) complaining that the police are out to get me. That's right buster! And why? Because you are engaged in terrible things!
4
She's just another self-serving Trump sycophant looking to weasel her way into the graces of the "king."
4
For Republicans like Haley, loyalty is everything. Treason is nothing.
4
If you stay in the presence of Trump more than 20 minutes, you brain will turn to mush and you will reason and say illogical things. So Nikki said that “the president may have tried to subvert national security for his own political end, but he failed, so where’s the harm?” If you hire an assassin to kill your husband and the assassin turns out to be an FBI agent and they arrest you, the murder did not happen therefore no harm?
I can also understand people around him, like Tillerson and Kelly, who tried to subvert Trump’s stupid ideas but at least they thought that by preventing his illegal and idiotic impulses they were saving the country. They should have done more, they should have invoked the 25th amendment but then there were people there like Nikki who thought that they should follow orders just like in Nazi Germany. I think Nikki with this book has ended her career, she should return to be a good bookkeeper.
5
Haley is no better than Jim Jordan who will lie and deny and then align herself with the corrupt, pathological liar Trump. I can't stand to look at her when she states Trump is not inept or isn’t guilty of impeachment. No person is above the law not even Trump. I read where Haley actually was pressured to take down South Carolina’s confederate flag, she didn’t want to do it. But her political opportunism got the better of her, ask the people in South Carolina about the real story about Haley. The fact, she is putting traitorous Trump before country illustrates what a despicable person she is. Maybe she can appoint Jim Jordan to run as her VP in 2024 ... just another desperate, sleazy opportunist.
8
@Patty Haley, Jordan, Graham are all supposed to be relatively smart, even if lacking in integrity. But how smart can they be if they think supporting Trump means they won't get drowned along with him when the titanic Trump ship sinks? Haldeman and Erlichman worked loyally for Nixon for many years, and their reward was significant prison time.
2
Ms. Haley is highly intelligent, ambitious, experienced—an adept, practical-minded politician. She is also a disappointment having revealed her moral bedrock to be no more than shifting sand. She has shown herself to be but one more voice in the chorus of facilitators propping up an amoral, incompetent POTUS.
7
The press gives Haley a pass. In fact, reporters are out there talking about what a contender she is, what a smart politician she is. It's pathetic. People like Haley deserve condemnation and nothing less.
7
Shes covering her tracks. Shes clueless. It will go down in history that she was warned and didnt act.
6
Halely is as vile in her moral bankruptcy as any other person who defends the rank criminality and treason of the current administration. I rather doubt she's so ignorant of basic legal principles as to think that because Ukraine eventually received the aid that was to be the lever for extortion, a crime wasn't committed; she's employing a calculated disingenuousness in order to retain the favor of Trump voters.
4
How sad, really. The GOP is just one big dumpster fire of blind ambition and petulant fear.
Judging by the way the party is going, Haley is perfect for them.
That is also sad.
What a mess.
7
Another Trump lackey pretending to be independent.
Seems like she is after Trump’s base for a future run.
Hope she fades away in the ashes of the Trump presidency.
4
I used to have some respect for Haley, I have lost completely lost it. Her motivation is totally obvious. She wants Trump's and the Republican's approval and clearly positioning herself to run with trump or run herself when he's gone. No one needs this pathetic toady.
3
Ms. Haley is a very dangerous woman.
7
She seemed like an adult in a playground of mean kids.
But after her book promotion, she is just another Trumper.
7
There is very little that Nikki Haley and I would agree on but her intelligence is undeniable. To watch her play dumb for the likes of Trump makes my stomach hurt.
1
Nikki Haley is a bare-faced opportunist who will say anything to advance herself. Her credibility with thinking people should be zero. And she's no patriot.
6
She's a dreadful opportunist who's positioning herself to run in 2024. She'd be disastrous in her own way but maybe not the Constitutional catastrophe of Trump.
2
Michelle Cottle suffers from Trump derangement syndrome. i love the part about the inept bureaucrats putting their "personal safety" on the line...hilarious...
What a ridiculous article. If Kelly and Tillerson were arrogant (thinking their judgment was better than the duly elected President), then the author is both arrogant and deluded to think that this kind of behavior by subordinates is good for our Democracy. How would you feel if Bob Gates decided his judgment was better than Obama's and worked to subvert, change and delay his decisions and priorities?
Where does it say whatever the president wants goes in the Constitution? And doesn't the 25th Amendment allow for this kind of conversation in the President's staff? So does Nikki Haley not believe in the Constitution then? Is she also blind to how everything in Trumps administration points to Putin, particularly for an UN ambassador? What strange logic and myopic viewpoint she has. Actually, it borders on dangerous and unpatriotic. Do we need another leader like that?
4
I think Ms Haley should reconsider her public appeal. True, Israelis and Republicans praised her for awhile, but eventually we might see how well she takes personal and professional criticism when and if liberals and Democrats dominate the Congress, even if Trump is reelected (God forbid).
1
To be on firm ethical grounds, the elected leaders of today need to do one thing and do it consistently; it's commonly referred to as "doing the right thing."
5
@Alan C Gregory there's quite another context for that quote, one that the traitor in the WH should heed.
1
I have been very unimpressed by Haley throughout her political career. As everyone who agrees to work for Trump gets tainted in the process, let's hope her political career is over. Once our long national nightmare is over, only those who have remained consistently critical of Trump, such as Romney and Flake, will have the moral standing to lead the Republican Party back to a respectable place in our national politics.
5
No gentleman worthy of trust would have taken office under the circumstances of James Comey's stunt with Anthony Weiner's computer, and a loss of the popular plurality by almost 3 million votes.
Doesn't trust matter to voters?
2
I would like to ask Ms Haley a question: if the FBI prevented a gunman from carrying out a planned attack on a school, would they then let him go scot-free, because after all, there was no harm done? Obviously not. But somehow Ms Haley believes that because the money finally flowed to the Ukraine AFTER congress learned it had been held up and insisted the money get there, and Mr Zelensky no longer had to make the statement demanded from him, no harm was done. Therefore Trump should be let off scot-free! Wow, no wonder she wants to be president. She believes a president can have criminal intent and yet never be held accountable. Just think of the opportunities afforded by such a situation! We know the Trumps certainly have thought of them.
8
@M. M. L.: Impeachment by Congress and conviction by the Senate is the only specific accountability ascribed to the presidency by the US Constitution.
In my view, anybody who accepted a Trump appointment, as Nikki Haley did, was a reprehensible self-important opportunist with poor character.
And I figured the people with an ounce of integrity would clue in at some point and resign along the way in order to preserve a little of that ounce of integrity they may have had left.
Why couldn't she just lay low?
8
I hope Ms. Haley does not succeed in her no doubt future quest for a powerful position in our government. I find very disturbing her conclusion that Trump did not commit a impeachable offense by attempting, but failing, to use his office to extort aid from the Ukraine government— aid to benefit his personal political interests. Does she realize how near Trump came to pulling off this illegal and unconstitutional scheme? An intellect that can so rationalize is fundamentally dishonest and values only the adulation of the powerful and the pursuit of power.
6
Ms. Haley is another person who surrendered her ethics to her ambitions and Trumpism.
7
Ms. Haley's comments substantiate the articles and books written about the chaos in the White House. Those who saw Trump's inadequacies finally left usually after failing to influence his policies. She left also. Is that what her book is about? that many White House officials had complaints about the president and shared them with her? No news there. In her critique of Tillerson and Kelly she accuses them of 'arrogance' -well, they did have high ranking positions in the US government, having been chosen for their expertise. She demonstrates some arrogance as well, in her 'judgement' of these officials.
5
@pat: These folks evidently do not even perceive when they are doing exactly what they accuse of others while doing it themselves.
5
Nikki Haley is arrogant. She is loyal only to Nikki Haley.
3
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when their salary, wealth and privilege depends on them not understanding. Upton Sinclair.
I may have added a couple of other things but it still fits.
4
The "state of our union" is in dire shape. I cannot read another article or essay on Trump or any Republican without wanting to cry or hide. Literally. What good does it do? What good does writing this comment do?
I am in despair over it. The people need to take to the streets but they won't.
3
Haley is trying to have it both ways. She's a slicker Trump apologist than most of the sycophants Trump surrounds himself with.
207
@Martin
Trump has been negatively characterized to such a degree that anyone that supports him using a reasonable argument is regarded as trying to have it both ways. I haven't heard any of her statements yet, but I'll hazard a guess here.
3
@Martin So she's won more admiration from Trumpies and pushed away an even greater number of potential supporters by implicitly backing a failed and loathed president. She might appear slick, but I happen to think this was a dumb move for her. Anybody bold/stupid enough to move closer to Trump at this point, when most are running for the hills, is lacking good judgement.
23
@carl bumba Not sure how you could characterize 45 in any way that isn't negative. If someone spoke to me the way he does about anyone who possibly might disagree with him, I would punch him in the nose.
8
I must be in the minority of readers here, I think she is awesome and doing a smart move for her long term political career. I love it when a woman is Machiavellian, it gives me a warm spot deep in my stomach.
@Maria Do you consider the U.S. Constitution "awesome"?
1
So, her book has served to illustrate 2 things for me. First, never Haley; if she misses the point of how destructive and inept Trump is, she doesn't belong in a leadership role. And two, John Kelly is likely Anonymous. (Tillerson has his ill-gotten billions to comfort him and keep him busy.)
6
"As Ms. Haley sees it, the president may have tried to subvert national security for his own political end, but he failed, so where’s the harm? has co-opted another into his amoral club of sycophants."
This statement says it all! Trump has gotten another GOP leader to normalize his wrongdoing.
For the Gop: "Right is wrong. Good is bad. Bribery of a foreign leader under threat from Russian is "perfect!"
Nikki Haley epitomizes just how much the GOP has lost its moral compass, that they will condone Trump's blatant violation of the Constitution and the #RuleOfLaw. They are complicit in Trump's degrading of our democracy.
They have created the imperial president and are putting Trump above the law, above accountability.
In the words of Thomas Paine " A body of men [& women] holding themselves accountable to NOBODY, ought not to be trusted by ANYBODY."
6
"As Ms. Haley sees it, the president may have tried to subvert national security for his own political end, but he failed, so where’s the harm?" This statement says it all!
Trump has gotten another GOP leader to normalize his wrongdoing. He has co-opted another GOP leader into his amoral club of sycophants.
For the Gop: "Right is wrong. Good is bad. Bribery of a foreign leader under threat from Russian is "perfect!"
Nikki Haley epitomizes just how much the GOP has lost its moral compass, that they will condone Trump's blatant violation of the Constitution and the #RuleOfLaw. They are complicit in Trump's degrading of our democracy.
They have created the imperial president and are putting Trump above the law, above accountability.
In the words of Thomas Paine " A body of men [& women] holding themselves accountable to NOBODY, ought not to be trusted by ANYBODY."
1
When someone is punching holes in your life boat, you can reason with him for only so long. It is heartening that some still acknowledge the rule of law as opposed to a good-old-boys club.
1
I wonder about, not only the moral compass of Ms,Haley, but her judgement and understanding of our constitution? What he did in Ukraine was wrong but not terribly wrong to call for impechment? Really?
6
Nikki Haley just put party before country and that makes her unqualified to lead.
6
Did Haley tell Trump about Tillerson's and Kelly's attempts to undermine him? If not, she was complicit.
4
So . . . let me see if I've got this straight, Nikki. I walk into a bank, I have a gun in my pocket and a note. I hand you the note which says give me all your money or I'll use the gun. You refuse and I demand again, several more times. Eventually, because you don't give me the money, I give up and walk out. According to your logic Nikki, because I didn't get get the money, I've committed no crime.
7
Haley says that even though the president tried to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, that didn’t happen. Even though he tried to withhold aid from Ukraine, it went through anyway. Trump tried to commit a crime, but failed, so he’s innocent, so says the “Haley Defense.”
3
“Instead of saying that to me, they should have been saying that to the president, not asking me to join them on their sidebar plan,” she said.
In all likelihood, they did. It seems Haley prizes sycophancy over policies that Tillerson and Kelly believed could get people killed.
4
Nikki Haley is politically astute. she knows there are 62million voters( Mr. Trump got 62M) who don't think about issues, not bothered about morality, never expose themselves to NYT. She is after them. she doesn't care about the right or wrong. If she ever gets elected, with the help of those 62MN voters, she will be female version of Mr. Trump. Re-elect Mr. Trump in 2020 and then Ms Halley. We will get 8 years of trumpion administration. What condition USA will be in,it will be a big mess.
3
Put another stone in the graveyard along with all of the other formerly respectable people who have given up their honor and decency and good name to Donald Trump. I was absolutely disgusted watching her today being interviewed by Savannah Guthrie (who did a great job). Putting Nikki Haley on the ticket with Trump will NOT win women back. Shame on her.
6
So because "the Ukrainians didn't follow up with the investigation", in Nicky Haley's mind Trump did nothing wrong? I never heard of her before I heard her speech at the U.N., that speech that included, "we'll remember it", like it was a threat against all of the countries who voted in denouncement of the U.S. decision to move it's embassy to Jerusalem, and I was instantly offended and alarmed listening to her. There was the first clue that she was a loyalist to Trump. Her parents are immigrants yet she doesn't speak out about Trump's immigration policies or the treatment of migrants at the border. She's just another greedy opportunist who's hitched herself to the Trump train for her own political gain. Her moral fibre is as thin as Trump's. Watch out if she runs in 2024.
3
So, if I have this right...from Ms. Haley's perspective if a person walks in a bank, draws a gun and yells this is a stickup and eventually leaves without any cash, it may be wrong but not punishable? Also I agree with her on one point. If you thought Trump was dangerous and doing things that were not in the best security interests of America or following American values they should have left and said on the way out the door why they were leaving. Instead it was all to spend more time with their families type of thing. This reminds me a great deal about the priest scandal in the Catholic church. Don't address it, don't criticize the church. just cover it up and make it look like it never happened. What we truly need in America , Ms. Haley is someone who will say 'NO' we aren't going to behave that way. Not someone who tries to put a facade of leadership on a 10 year old child. Stay in South Carolina. You are no different than the enablers in the White House. And come out and admit you left so you didn't have to be the one to say to Trump he was wrong. So you can count on his base to support you. It's called being a coward.
5
Haley is yet another too afraid to speak truth about Trump; just flags.
2
Is her new book titled "The Art of Manipulation". Her book hurt her reputation in my eyes. She is trying to walk a tight rope, but failing.
2
@sbanicki The Guardian has her pegged. Here is a quote from their article.
"Historians know that there are two types of political memoirs. The first are the books that politicians write at the end of their careers. These are often self-centered and biased, but they at least generally tell us something useful about the past. Such books take time to write – Barack Obama still hasn’t finished his. Then there is the second type of memoir, those books that are dashed off quickly by politicians and their publicists in order to take their career to the next level. These memoirs tell us more about how the author imagines the future than they do about the past.
Nikki Haley’s new memoir, With All Due Respect, is the second type. Haley has written the book in just over a year since leaving her job as United States ambassador to the United Nations. Haley also sat in Donald Trump’s cabinet, and she would undoubtedly have some interesting stories to tell if she chose to. For the most part, she does not. Instead, Haley is using the book to try to position herself for fame and fortune in the Republican party of the future. Specifically, Haley is making a bet that her future depends on devotion to Trump and his brand of populism."
Shame on her.
1
Nikki Haley is one of those people who are really good at failing up.
2
Haley has demonstrated that she is not ready to take a leadership position in this country.
it is unamerican to conclude the President is immoral and corrupt and continue to help him achieve his insane objectives. I use too think very highly of her, not anymore. She either lost her moral compass or never had one.
Good luck to you Ma'am as a civilian.
2
It is disturbing to hear Nikki Haley's rationalization of why Trump should not be impeached: "So, do I think it’s not good practice to talk to foreign governments about investigating Americans? Yes,” she told The Washington Post. “Do I think the president did something that warrants impeachment? No, because the aid flowed. And, in turn, the Ukrainians didn’t follow up with the investigation.” That analogy is like a person driving a car who has just run a red light nearly hitting a pedestrian who had the right of way. Did the pedestrian get hit? No. So then, according to Haley's rationalization, it's ok to run the red light without any further issue.
3
@Jeff Natt "the aid flowed" Not when it should have, did it? And how many Ukrainians DIED during that time period? They are being attacked, daily, by russian "soldati". Think a minute about what's going there, to the people of Ukraine, not the moron in the WH.
2
I hope she becomes the first female president. She has all of the qualifications for the job!
15
@LB Having been a citizen of the state of SC when she was "governor"--because of being given a Sarah Palin bump at a time when that meant something--I heartily disagree. She is a smarter, more disciplined version of the usual Republican, and only out for what she can grasp for herself.
84
@LB
If you mean the Trump Qualifications , I agree. If you mean real competence, no way. So please tell us what her qualifications are.
83
@LB Nah, cozying up to Trump at this point is the opposite of shrewd. Her current views as spelled out in this book may increase the intensity of her support among Trump people, but it will drive away many more that she would need to advance her standing on the national stage.
45
Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can see that Haley is angling for VP spot in 2020. Don't worry, Trump is getting removed by Christmas and he won't even be on ballot. Furthermore, America is not even ready for a white female president yet. It will be a long time before a minority brown woman can step in that role.
1
Great patriots, Vindeman and Gordon; if you are a Dem. yes, a Republican, no and American, absolutely no. They only have second and third hand knowledge and what they testify to is their own personal opinion. Personal opinion presented as fact. In a court of law the judge would send the prosecutor out with its tail between its legs. Regardless of Haley's ambitions, neither Tillerson nor Kelly went to Trump directly because they knew "better" than the President. Maybe it was their vital fluid that was in control of their actions. Anyone remember "Dr. Strangelove"? We have elections to choose leaders, not staff, to direct the country. By the way, I didn't know Robert Woodward worked in the White House.
@hiasakite Vindman was on the call; that's first hand knowledge. Keep learning!
1
Good article. Nikki Haley is another self serving Republican--a dime a dozen. There's no way she should ever end up in the White House.
3
Haley will run and win in 2024.
Ms. Haley will never recover from her disingenuous and vacuous display of spineless duplicity.
9
Wow. Wasn't Haley touted as the class act in Trump's classless administration? If Tillerson and Kelly did come to her to undermine Trump wasn't she obligated to bring that to Trump? Now after her departure she is writing about this one year from the election. She is sounding like Bill Barr when he auditioned for The Attorney Generals job. She knows Trump is toast with suburban women and must be auditioning for Mike Pence's job. Mike's Pompeo has hitched his wagon to Trump and now Haley also. Pompeo's betrayal of his State Department I think is going to be his downfall. Haley sticking a knife in Tillerson and Kelly's back is going to bite her down the road.
8
she is more ambitious than she is bright. no surprise she Dows not see the real problem..... it stands in the way of her path to power and celebrity.
1
“is thought to harbor presidential ambitions...” Uh, no kidding. Not too subtle Nikki. The funny thing is, she didn’t have a role where she needed to constantly contain the president, the way Kelly and Tillerson did—it’s always so easy to criticize when you haven’t been there yourself. Here’s how I see her imagining things unfolding. Trump makes it through impeachment and on to the election. He drops Pence for her (and that would be a great move to make the ticket more electable). He gets reelected, continues doing stupid things (how can he not), gets impeached again but this time successfully, and voila, we have our first woman president. Ugh. Please wake me up. I’m having a nightmare.
2
It's a 'given' that she's craven and fawning but what more is she prepared to do for the boss?
2
@Lazza May Apparently there are no limits. Odd, as his incessant berating of ALL immigrants obviously includes her family. Wonder what they think of her.
1
With All Due Respect? The operative word here is "due."
3
"But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want.". @Ms. Haley: With all due respect, Nikki, your president is the Titanic and you're telling the Chief Officer that undermining the Captain's orders to circumvent the iceberg is "a really dangerous thing".
3
The emperor has no clothes and Nikki Haley is obviously not the little girl to reveal the truth in the face of all of the sycophants surrounding this would be "emperor".
2
Her reasoning is lacking in intelligence. Not someone who should be serving in the public interest!
1
“Asked if she thought Congress would impeach and remove Mr. Trump from office, Ms. Haley said: “No. On what? You’re going to impeach a president for asking for a favor that didn’t happen and giving money and it wasn’t withheld? I don’t know what you would impeach him on.”
Can a bank robber plead “Your Honor, I did knock over the ATM but there was no cash. So can I go home now?”
2
Does she think Pence is on his way out, and she wants in?
1
@NotKidding 10:1.
She was against Trump before she was for him.
3
We know he insists on this in his private life, but does Trump force his cabinet and White House staff to sign NDA's? Why do all of these ex-cabinet members pussyfoot around the truth?
Either way, if a cabinet member signed one or not, they have an obligation to speak the truth about this imbecile and follow the oath they swore to uphold to protect our Constitution. There is a very long list of respected ex-Trump people that have been silent, (Mattis, McMaster, Kelly,Tillerson, etc) .
How do they sleep at night?
3
Preserve us from people like Haley, a disaster if there ever was one.
3
With her new book -- "With All Due Respect"-- Nikki Haley jumped with both feet, in one fell swoop, to THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY column. Her immoral political calculus, on full display in this book, landed her with all the sniveling, spineless GOP cowards.
Haley is just like all the other traitorous Republicans who continue to look the other way when our toddler-president trounces the Constitution and degrades himself and us for all the world to see.
Can we all just agree that we need an intelligent human with a strong moral compass to lead our country? We do not need to agree on anything else!
6
Halley outed herself. She could have chosen to be a principled Republican - a rarity these days. Instead, she chose to be a partisan hack. Calculated, easy and thoroughly amoral.
7
To understand why Nikki Haley is doing what she’s doing, you first must understand that in states like South Carolina where evangelicals have the majority of the political power, society is still very much under the paternalistic system that ruled during slavery, when white Southern women felt like they could influence the public realm (limited to wealthy white men) through paternalism’s dependence on white women in the domestic realm.
The Southern mistress felt more powerful because she had additional responsibility of taking care of slaves, all of which was done to make the husband look good. Northern women were also limited to the domestic realm due to the patriarchy, but the North lacked the additional element of paternalism.
Nikki is pulling a classic paternalism move and it’s obvious that she cut her teeth in the Old South trenches of South Carolina. When she said, “But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing,“ she’s essentially saying that she’ll do whatever it takes to keep up appearances. Like the plantation mistress looking the other way when the slave children favored her husband (check out Mary Chesnut’s Civil War diary for some colorful commentary on that), Nikki is doing what all evangelical women learn to do: protect the “Papa” in charge. She knows her role. And the only shocking thing about her sycophantic performance is that anyone is shocked. I’ve met a hundred Nikki Haleys in my life, most of them down at the First Baptist Church.
5
pretty much what I thought after reading exerts from her book, bless her heart.
1
“But to undermine a president [Trump] . . . goes against what the American people want,” says Haley. That boat sailed when the right clings to an ancient obsolete script called the Electoral College to steal away “what the People want.” The People wanted Hillary Clinton to be President.
4
"It’s not that top aides sought to undermine President Trump, it’s that they thought they had to."
They absolutely had to undermine Trump's orders or people would have died. Now with Gen. Mattis and Chief of Staff Kelly gone, Trump has created a disaster in Syria causing so many deaths, not to mention handing a free victory to Turkey and Russia. And of course Trump was then free to extort and bribe the Ukrainian president.
And the Senate HAS to remove this incompetent, corrupt and dangerous president, but they won't!
Sometimes I wish these do-gooders would just let Trump do what he wants because they keep SAVING him from the consequences he needs to have! By undermining Trump's illegal and/or dangerous orders, they are depriving us of the chance to get him out of office! Let him fail so disastrously that even corrupt Republicans will realize they have to get rid of him.
What a disaster this White House has become.
3
I suspect Haley's comments are an attempt to ingratiate herself with Trump at the expense of Mike Pence. This is Haley's slicker version of the Night of the Long Knives.
4
Nikki Haley’s strategy in articulating her ambitions (Whatever they may be) is to tell obvious bold faced lies to the American people. She’s now disqualified from any higher office in my mind. You point to a hurricane and call it a zephyr, you point to a menace to society and call him just an occasionally naughty boy - goodbye Nikki. Will never ever take you seriously nor should any perceptive American voter.
3
Ms. Haley could have been a whistleblower and instead chose to promote herself in the Republican Party. She is just another traitor to the Constitution making money from a book. Personally, I am not buying her book which is probably just her campaign for the Presidency. I'm not voting for her either.
2
I had some respect for Nikki Haley until she came out with these statements and her book. She is an opportunist, like so many in and out of politics today, of course, but she really lost me when she also said that she agreed with Trump in pulling out of the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear agreement. She is totally irresponsible, and whatever respect I had for her is gone.
What does one do when you have an unintelligent madman in the White House? I guess this is what all who work and worked for him have had to ask themselves. Trump is our swing state Emperor Caligula--thank you Wisconsin, Michigan etc.; you should not be deciding elections clearly. Get rid of the electoral college and let us have a true democracy in which the popular vote determines who is elected president. The next thing you know Caligula/Trump will make his horse a republican senator.
2
"I understand where he is coming from"? She speaks as if she is sub-literate. This woman lacks critical thinking skills. When she was governor, I thought, "oh she'll go away." Boy, was I wrong. Presidential Ambitions? No, please. This country may not recover from these bamboozlers. We are in middle of a huge paradigm shift. How it shakes out is anybody's guess.
3
Ambassador Haley is hoisting the jack for the bus she is hoping to watch Trump push Pence under.
4
She'll make a great President.
Nikki Haley with her “ revelations “ has demonstrated poor judgment and portrayed herself as a “ primadonna “ .
Her defense of the president is childish and the result of deep hypocrisy.
She should have known better , the defense of her Country should have been her priority, just like it was for Tillerson and Kelley .
She elected to be another trumpian lackey, aligning herself to the wrong side of history.
2
Nothing but loathing here for Ms Haley. I hope Americans are smart enough to use this book against her when she runs for office.
5
Exactly. Republicans are obsessed with authority not truth. They are focused on loyalty not facts. They demand religious obeisance rather than rational argument.
And this is why they are rarely suited for journalism, philosophy, the arts, or science, which require a commitment to reason, critical thought and/or imagination.
Republicans take a blind "faith-based" view of nearly everything. It's really quite pathetic . . . and extremely dangerous.
2
It’s not the job of underlings and bureaucrats to undermine their boss.
If they want to be president, then run for office and win. These guys claimed “people will die”.
Well that was a big fat lie.
Trump is president. He sets policy. Period. You don’t like it? Resign from your office or commission.
1
@Cjmesq0 " “people will die”. is EXACTLY what happened in Syria, to the Kurds, OUR ALLIES!
1
I used to have respect for Nikki Haley. Not anymore. She has joined the ranks of the hypocrites who privately despise or even loathe Donald Trump, but publicly - politically - will stand by their man keeping an eye on their own political future.
It doesn't take a crystal ball to peer into the future for Ms. Haley and see presidential ambitions on the horizon, and she doesn't want to alienate The Donald, no ma'am.
But watch. Once Donald Trump finally falls from grace - and it will happen - we can all sit back and watch Republican hypocrites like Haley back away from him so fast they will throw out their backs.
We can all then bask in their collective "outrage" over Trump's behavior. And politicians wonder why people hate them. . .
2
Fake memoir. Where is the proof? Her word against whom? Why would anyone want to believe any Republican's words since they never believe anyone else's. Nickki Haley stands for Nikki Haley. She is an elitist who has benefitted from the Republican party and off course, DT gave her her position in the U.N., which essentially is a useless agency where Russia, China and the U.S. get to dictate what happens in the world because of their outsized veto powers. She represented the interest of the U.S. and not the interest of the world because we all know that a U.S. life is valued higher than anyone else's in the world.
We live in an age where the elitist own the money, the military, the local police, the technology, the information---in other words they have at their disposal every resource possible to lie in order to keep their power.
If this comment bothers DT supporters, now you see what you all sound like:
To people like Haley, the Democrats are all awful: Biden is weak; Elisabeth and Bernie are communist because they want to even the playing field; Buttielieg insults the beliefs of Christianity because he loves from his heart, and all other Democrats are not fit to lead the country. It was Donald Trump that started this war when his first words out of his mouth were hateful and divisive. Nikki Haley thinks she is one of them, but she is just another footstool in DT's desperation to stay in power where he will continue to lie and cheat and hate.
2
Ms. Haley is just like the president. She doesn't give a rip about whether OTHER people DIE. That's not a big deal. She was concerned that the orange menace not be challenged as president--that would be a very bad thing!
It didn't matter that in the judgment of the Secretary of State and the Chief of Staff, if they didn't stop the president's uninformed and stupid actions, "people would die". I'm sure she thought they were being melodramatic. "Awwww. People will die. Too bad--my family is safe and I'm going to be V.P. some day." (you can almost see the Smiley faces and hearts floating around her thoughts).
We don't need another amoral selfish president. Her book proves her unfit for high office in a country where we actually do care if a president's stupid actions lead to someone dying.
And we know that people DID die in Ukraine during the time he was withholding aid that could have bought defensive weapons. And many others were injured. Her reaction: "No harm, no foul." If her family was on the lists of casualties, maybe then she'd see the foul! We need leaders with at least an ounce of compassion. She does not qualify.
3
She’s trying to have it both ways. Trump is a lawless criminal ensconced in the Oval Office.
Haley knows this, but is too afraid of the backlash from Trump’s more racist supporters to point this out.
Instead, she becomes his apologist while still trying to portray herself as above all the lawless activity.
Sorry Nikki, we’re having none of it.
2
Nikki Haley, trashing Tillerson and Kelly for opposing Trump’s policies? That’s rich. She did the same on a host of issues and did it publicly. Heck, she was a “Never Trumper,” supporting Rubio and then Cruz before Trump won the nomination.
From the May 23, 2017, issue of Foreign Policy: “Haley has carved out a distinct foreign-policy path, one that sees Russia unambiguously as an enemy, touts America’s role as a human rights champion, and advocates for continued U.S. leadership on the humanitarian front.” Fairly anti-Trump Doctrine right there.
My overall recollection is that the administration had a hard time trying to find common ground between her speeches and Trump’s tweets such were their disagreements.
Say "No" to Nikki. Just Do IT.
3
Haley is political toast. She's succumbed to the immorality of Trump and his followers. She just wants more power and to sell more books.
2
Haley is not "ignoring" the "real problem".
Rather, she is incapable of any perception of "reality" because she is now a full-blown Trump Zombie.
Once bitten, the fate of Trump Zombies is forever altered.
And they can't be killed.
5
I had to go back twice to re-read her punch line about the constitution. To cite that document as the reason government officials cant circumvent a dangerous, impulsive poseur shows that her thought process is as skewed as the Chosen One's. No surprise she's so starry-eyed over him.
4
No wonder Trump endorsed Nikki Haley's book. Trump is portrayed as a victim of disloyal advisors. The atmosphere surrounding the president is dark, conspiratorial, and Deep State-like.
Along comes Nikki Haley to the Trump's rescue. Brava, Nikki! What a deft pirouette you performed. At once criticizing Trump's inside men while alluding to the instability of the president. Nikki leaves no men standing. One wonders why you didn't immediately go to Trump and report the treachery that seethed around him. You kind of dropped the ball all by yourself on that one, huh?
2
I think she is trying to be shrewd here and give tRumpy a bear hug. On the one hand, she is siding with him over the Ukrain affair. On the other hand, she is outing the fact that senior officials, hand-picked by tRump and generally admired on the right were really alarmed by him. Also, notice that unlike them, she did not stay in the administration and left. There are multiple ways in which she can play on these facts later.
1
"We've arranged a global civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces...
I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudoscience and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before? Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us - then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls.
The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir."
- Carl Sagan "The Demon-Haunted World" 1998
3
That Nikki Haley shows herself to be as immoral and self-serving as the rest of the Republican party should come as no surprise. Readers may forget she came into office on the coat-heels of the Tea Party. She is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and any suggestion that she’s somehow on solid moral footing or subscribes to any principals other than self-promotion is contrary to her history and should be abandoned.
6
" it goes against the Constitution "
It appears Haley has NO CLUE about the words of the Constitution, and this book sale round of promotion seems like absurd Monday morning quarterbacking (HIGHLY "enhanced"), to attempt positioning for a future VP (or WORSE!) consideration.
She's no patriot, but rather an ambitious, self-serving opportunist. Who'da guessed?
7
Ms Haley began as a Trump critic and is now acting like a true believer, much like Trump's red cap followers. The truth is that she is playing her political card by at the least brown nosing to become the next Secretary of State and, should Trump be defeated in next years election, to be in a good position to run for president in 2024. It does not bother her that she has failed to speak truth to power and thereby failed her country.
3
The only decent thing she did as governor was to take down the Confederate flag that used to fly everyday at the Statehouse in Columbia after the Charleston prayer group massacre. She was all about cutting taxes as the schools deteriorated and the only roads getting repaired where those running by the plantations of the wealthy. Even I-95 was full of potholes and the number of accidents was appalling. She, Sanford and Graham are a large part of the problems in South Carolina. One reason we no longer live there.
10
"Ms. Haley — who is thought to harbor presidential ambitions...."
"Thought too?" I'm in Florida and can smell it from here.
8
Mrs. Haley should be made to wear a sweatshirt with “I Am an Opportunist” emblazoned across the front.
10
I predict that Nikki Haley has destroyed her political future by hitching her wagon to the Trump train wreck.
9
It goes against what the American people want?? NO-no it doesn't. 'The American People' didn't elect this bozo--the electoral college did. Mitch McConnell has been hijacking that phrase--the American people--for quite some time now. It especially angered me when he used it to deny Obama a Supreme Court justice. Well, I say now as I said then--the American people DID decide--they voted overwhelmingly for Obama and overwhelmingly for a Democrat in 2016. I'm sick of hearing 'let the American people decide'!!
7
Ms. Haley is very obviously positioning herself for future office, perhaps even the Presidency. She is arguably a bit smarter and more articulate than the lying, cheating, racist, proudly ignorant man who is currently President, but she is just as self-serving in the end. She cares only about her own reputation; if she actually cared about the Constitution, the rule of law, or the well-being of our nation, she would have stayed as far as possible from the administration of Donald Trump, and would not be writing a self-serving hagiography.
5
You give up all credibility when you defend Trump. I hope time will make them pay for their traitorous behavior.
4
What a naked attempt at attaining the presidency. She attacks former administration cabinet members as if they were on her lawn on Fifth Avenue. Now everyone has to prove they can shoot someone and get away with it. I’m serious.
Someone will eventually be killed as a power/intimidation play.
5
So Ms Haley thinks that since Ukraine never carried out the investigation on Biden's
son that clears Trump of any wrong doing. Just like a mobster
puts out a contract to hurt someone and it fails the mob is innocent. Her confused and erratic thinking is on track with
the person she is protecting. If she has grandiose ideas
for the presidency she is in tune with the regressive policies
of the Republican party.
4
When it comes to saying whatever her political ambition and book sales require, Ms Haley has an instinct for moral flexibility that must fill her swamp mentor Lindsey Graham with pride and envy.
Three years ago Ms. Haley said "We need to recognize our contributions to the erosion of the public trust in America’s leadership." Now it's “You’re gonna impeach a President for asking for a favor that didn’t happen and—and giving money, and it wasn’t withheld. I don’t know what you would impeach him on.”
3
All this thing about ex-white house gurus and top aides writing memoirs and books about their experiences in white house ...So who cares about their thoughts and experiences.-- They do because they make royalties on book sales. Donate the book sales to a worthy humane cause and get a real life. Arrogant , greedy ex-politicians anyway.
2
Haley bets on a Trump-Haley ticket. Trump could easily dump Pence and pair himself with Haley to soften his edge and attract white suburban women.
3
@blgreenie
But then he might lose the Evangelicals. And Pence has no political future if he loses the Vice-Presidency, so he'll resist. Mike and Mother must know where a few of the bodies are buried, so to speak.
1
Mrs. Haley as phoney as they come.
6
Trump and Haley know the Republican Playbook so well, I wonder how many times they've recited it together over cocktails.
4
It’s not that Haley told us these things, or that they happened without her help; the point for me in this is that while she called Kelly and Tillerson’s actions “dangerous”, she didn’t feel any duty to tell anyone until she could make money on it. More Trumper grift.
5
Haley says that "But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want."
The New York Times, in its swan song on Haley's departure from the administration, said Haley will be missed. Are you so sure? This sounds a lot like the Nuremberg defense that orders are orders. And, by the way, that craven bleating is not in the Constitution.
3
Perhaps if they let him steer the ship of state onto the rocks, he would be gone by now.
4
Nikki just confirms again that she is not up to it. But, hey, if a terrible low class cheat can make it, why not give it a try anyway ?
5
Just a taste of the GOP post trump.
4
Does the author believe that these sort of conflicts and activities are anything new?
2
Ex Gov. Haley just shot herself in the foot in terms of her own political career
and place in history. why? to sell some books?
3
Nikki nHaley thinks she's the heroine of her story, but she's the villain.
2
"Hmmmm how can I sell the most books and still be the first woman POTUS?"
This person is as cold and calculating as anyone to slither through the Trump administration.
She will never be president and she will reek of Trump's funk until the day she dies, in all of her obits and down through history.
4
Nikki Haley and Lindsey Graham perfect together. Two phony individuals who put party and personal ambition before country.
3
Bald faced opportunism.
1
Besides trying to sell books, Nikki Haley is transparently trying to advance herself. Watch out Mike Pence.
3
Nikki is running for president and that is why she keeps saying she that she did not agree with trump at times so as not to get slammed when Trump goes down,but because she wants his base, she says not to get her wrong she is all for him too. She talks out of both sides of her hard mouth. This book is a campaign speech only. Love the part where she wept and wept about the black church murders in her state, to show she is human ha ha, but did nothing before or after to support gun control because she is paid by the NRA to be against it. Empty meaningless tears.
What cowards are the former and fired Trump guys. More concerned over their own pitiful careers than the fact we have a stupid, unstable and mentally ill president who is a danger to us and the world. Real heroes these people. Please medals for all. Slimy politicians to the core.
3
Haley provides yet another fine example from this administration of Hannah Arendt's banality of evil.
1
Haley accomplished two things: 1.) She confirmed that the Anonymous author of the Times op-ed and coming book is telling the truth; 2.) She will say or do anything to advance her own career, even at the expense of the American people.
4
Haley is defending the president because, “…the aid flowed. And, in turn, the Ukrainians didn’t follow up with the investigation.” McGahn was ordered to fire Mueller and he refused, “McGahn testified that the president had asked him to “do crazy ___,”
All these events reveal and exemplify that Trump’s dislike, ignorance and disregard of rules includes the rule of law and that he has been repeatedly prevented from breaking the law by those around him.
The question begs to be asked, “What laws & ethical violations has he broken that others didn’t prevent?”
Multiple people listening to the call were disturbed by the illegality of what Trump did, and while Trump didn’t/doesn’t see a problem with it, his people definitely realized it was illegal, and moved the recording of the call to a secure and less available outside server.
But its not complicated.
Extorting another government for desperately needed military aid (one where people are dying) to get them to investigate the son of a political rival (and an American citizen) is *obviously* illegal and *obviously* should be illegal.
“We really need this aid.” “I would like you to do us a favor though.”
That’s illegal folks.
It’s also obviously shady, something most ethical, decent people would at least question.
You could be the president of your local bowling league and if people heard you say that on the phone, they would stop and go, “ahh…. I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be doing that….”
.
153
@SMcStormy
Right to the point SMcStormy and that is why even if the repubs do not vote to impeach they will be seen for who they are. As you stated about the bowling league it is just that obvious. Ya the zealots will still vote for trump buy I doubt that the independent will. That the dems are not going to draw this out is another plus. It does not need to be drawn out it is pretty cut and dry. Nancy and Adam are doing a fine job.
19
@SMcStormy I don't hear often enough that this money was our own tax money that had already been voted to be distributed to Ukraine for use as a military aid against Russia--or that it was released by others, not by the *president.
14
@SMcStormy It is textbook mob behavior. Roy Cohn was apparently an excellent teacher for an ethically challenged student.
17
"Mr. Woodward termed Mattis's efforts 'an administrative coup d’état.'”
Woodward should talk about coups d'etat.
1
“ When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time “ -Maya Angelou.
Message received, Shrimp and Grits Barbie.
6
A little off topic - but I'm wondering why nobody is talking about how exposed Trump might be right now now. Just because the White House didn't record his conversation with Zelinsky (or so they say), doesn't mean the Ukrainians didn't.
3
Sacrificing one's honor for the sake of one's ambition is the communicable disease of this administration. Nikki Haley, long rumored to be immune, in fact has a fatal case.
2
Ms. Haley makes clear that what disturbed her was Mr. Tillerson’s and Mr. Kelly’s arrogance. “It was their decisions, not the president’s, that were in the best interests of America, they said. The president didn’t know what he was doing.”
Well, duh. You have only to listen to Trump’s pattern of losing his train of thought and wandering into the weeds to see this “President” is a doddering dotard. Haley is pretending Trump is “normal”. If she actually believes that, she is blind at least in one eye, probably can’t see out the other.
5
Given the lies emanating from the White House and the GOP, how do we know she’s telling the truth? Could she be building a case for a Trumpian conspiracy theory revolving around the mythical Deep State? I wouldn’t trust her any further than I could throw her! At this point, I wouldn’t back a Republican dog catcher. The whole party went corrupt. I once voted across party lines. Never, in the rest of my life, will I vote for a Republican. The Party of Putin!
1
Wait, Trump actually ordered the military to assassinate Assad?
1
It's amazing how long it takes some people to realize the President is insane when their outsized incomes and political connections demand that they ignore the obvious. How is it in any way possible that Nikki Haley was representing US, the People of the United States, when she was so lacking in judgement about her boss? Let's face it, she STOLE her salary under false pretenses, just as Trump STOLE the election by beginning it with submitting a fraudulent, self-written physical fitness letter written obviously by his narcissistic self and not an M.D.? At what point are we going to call all this what it is, treason, and not just 'poor judgement'? Half the country is culpable, and more than half of Congress, from the looks of it.
I just wonder if it's more about money, or stupidity.
2
Sacrificing one's honor for the sake of one's ambitions is the communicable disease of this administration. Nikki Haley, who was rumored to be immune, in fact has a fatal case.
1
I have to say that Haley is just as disgusting as all the other Republican synchofants, toadies and lickspittles who put party ahead of the constitution and themselves ahead of the country. Firstly, any rational person knows that Trump doesn't know what he is doing. Secondly, anyone who says that while it is wrong for a president to attempt to extort a foreign government to did up dirt on a political rival to opine that because he was unsuccessful, or as Graham says, because he is incompetent, has no respect for the constitution or the American people a d as a result deserves no respect. The media should stop talking to her. Let her talk only to the Republican propaganda arm, Fox and Breitbart.
2
Haley is a Trump collaborator making meaningless weekend headlines in an effort to sell a distorted, poorly written book.
Another Republican vampire seeking to defraud the world while denying the sins of King Heel Spurs, spawn of the Devil.
1
It hard to believe the republican narrative is now, “yeah, it was criminal, but since he is an inept criminal and wasn’t successful, let’s look away.”
3
Haley has wrecked her reputation. She’s now no better than Graham, Conway, McConnell, Mulvaney, Miller, or any of the other Trump sycophants. She’s toast - no future.
4
Ms. Haley: Weren’t you taught that if you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas?
Prepare to itch all the way to 2024.
2
Well, I used to like her.
Having an issue with “the finest” people Trump could find who found it necessary to undermine him lest murder, mayhem and maybe a war or even two would have been provoked is itself deplorable.
She should just admit that an unhinged pathological liar who was elected partially on the basis of Russian interference and Comey’s stupid pronouncement by a minority of the country does not deserve anyone’s respect or support.
2
THIS is what happens when the toddler gets to fire his babysitters and "appoint" ones that let him get away with setting fire to the house.
3
She's another Sarah Sanders - blind to the obvious in regards to trump.
4
Ms. Haley, you just shot yourself in the foot in the eyes of millions of American voters from every party and independents too.
A VP position in 2020 in place of Pence followed by a run for the prez job in 2024? No way. Americans will remember who you have shown yourself to be. Cunning, calculating, devious.
2
Prediction: Trump to dump Pence and put Hayley on 2020 ticket to expand base; this explaining Hayley comments on Trump.
2
The actions of Tillerson and Cohen give insight into how they would want underlings to protect them if they made an error...protect the leader even if he is a fool, that way we all get to keep our jobs. These are not leaders,they are cowards.
1
Nikki Haley is much smarter than Trump. She could make Trump looks like a fool. All people from India are smarter than most white Americans. Because they are real smart people. They dominated the Silicon Valley and all computer business. Now they are moving into our medical, legal and political professions. Pretty soon we will have a president immigrated from India. I have a lot smart friends from India. They are considered as whites.
1
@McLean123
This an astounding mish mash of bias with "model minority" thinking. Love the blanket assertions.
And just so you know, my dog is much smarter than Trump!
2
Haley is a hack and an opportunist in the true Trump mold. Anyone with a half a brain realizes she is trying to game the system for her own personal gain. This is the new GOP; set aside any sense of courage, integrity or reason and land a high paying position. After all, that's how their buddies in the corporate world work, isn't it?
1
We dont need a female version of trump in the White House. Hope she doesnt run for President
2
'Tillerson and Kelly ... considered some of Trump's policies so harebrained ...' that they thought they had to act to save the country. Good grief, and Nikki Haley didn't? When you're in a hole stop digging.
2
There is not a shred on morality or conscience among the supporters of the president. Haley is looking for advancement in her career and will lie and deflect with the best of them to get ahead. It’s shameful and ignorant.
2
Her president did something wrong. It was detrimental to our country. It is called bribery. Coercion. This is unconstitutional. She lies. Just like trump, she lies.
5
As far as I'm concerned the current Republican party consists of people who lie and lie and lie some more. Whether they lie to the people they are meant to serve, to the "president" they are sworn to serve, or in swearing to uphold our Constitution and then failing to do so, they are all scoundrels who should be sent packing. Shame on them all.
1
Nikki Haley exemplifies the high grade rot in the GOP right now...positioning herself to become the heir to Trump she has taken to the airwaves to deny there is a basis for impeachment. Perhaps the President shouldn't have made his shakedown request to the Ukraine leadership....but hey, no foul....aid was eventually given (after federal attorneys weighed in on the legality of holding up aid) and the Ukrainians never opened a Biden investigation (though they were about to until the whistle blower came forward)....Ms. Haley deserves a running mate like Lindsey Graham...
2
Something serious is wrong with Haley. I had a bit of respect for her at one time. None. She has discredited herself with this nonsense.
2
With all due respect, Ms. Haley, you deserve none.
2
Hitching her horse to the trump wagon will make her unelectable.....I hope.
I'm sure she can win a safe red seat in Alabama. God forbid she ever becomes President Nikki Haley.
There is an old phrase, “stand up and be counted,” which leaders of the Trump administration like Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, Jim Mattis and Gary Cohn declined to honor in their covert insubordination of the most dangerous and hare-brained impulses of the vindictive and incompetent President Donald Trump.
Nikki Haley is a politically ambitious person who claims to have opposed Trump more honestly. In criticizing her former colleagues and simultaneously trying to combine her past, present and aspired future, Ms. Haley – to quote another old saying – is trying to have her cake and eat it, too.
Per Haley, guy walks into a bank, armed, demands money, is rebuffed. Aims his gun at a teller, pulls the trigger, gun misfires. Bandit gets no money. Innocent! We should let him walk, and grab a few beers.
...and in an NPR interview when asked how as the mother of daughters she supports Trump after "several credible women" have accused him of sexual assault and after hearing the tape where he stated he can "grab women "by the genitals "anytime I want" - her response? "Well, he's always been respectful to me."
Thanks, Nikki. With that kind of support we'll all be just fine.
5
There is one other (unlikely) option... That Haley is the anonymous author and is blowing smoke in everyone's eyes.
Norah O’Donnell of CBS News, why did you not ask Nikki Haley if her book was a quid pro quo? It's rumored that Trump wants to replace Pence with N. Haley in 2020.
Just another republican high on herself. She nothing more then another Yes Donald person with an empty resume, she got nothing done in any job she held.
1
After reading this we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Nikki Haley is no longer at the UN. Someone with such elastic moral and ethical standards should not be representing the US on the world stage. Let her crawl back into her fox hole and stay there.
3
Haley is the one left holding the bag.
Wow, just wow. That Nikkie Haley decided, on her own, to disavow what top officials asked her to HELP THEM WITH what was happening in the White House. And she thought this would help her political future? Wow, and more Mow.
3
Nikki Haley would rather people die. I hope she doesn’t run for office again. What careless disregard for human life.
Based on her complicity, Haley should be required to donate all the proceeds from her book to help repair the damage done to the entire world by this mendacious and repugnant administration. Persons who enabled President Trump should not be able to profit off the misery, lies and chaos he has sown. Shame on former Ambassador Haley!
Nikki who? No one is gonna remember her. When she tries to comeback in 2024, if that is indeed her goal, what will be remembered is that she actually didn’t do much, except pimp for Trump.
She’s already a has-been wannabe never-will-be.
1
Watch how Haley never really answers the questions she's asked. She is the queen of dodginess.
2
Nikki Haley, never, no, no, no. It is fun though to watch her straddle the fence. Ugg.
2
Move along, people. There’s nothing to see here except another Republican opportunist and toady.
1
What Tillerson and Kelly did was "close" to being a whistleblower, but they stopped short of completing the process. There is some virtue there but they ultimately did not do the right thing.
They were basically threatening the President that they would become a whistleblower to stop him by refusing to take an order, which implies that the person making the order is not fit for office. And if he had not backed down, they would have likely escalated the situation, and that worked. But it did not solve the main problem, the need to remove Trump from office.
Invoking the 25th Amendment is by definition constitutional. That should have been the next step.
2
Isn't there something wrong with the thinking that if the President is doing something dangerous for the country, the best option is to resign and keep your "honor" safe? Normally a President accepts advice/suggestions from his administration; of course, that's not Trump's style. Whatever his gut tells him to do, he'll do. And as John Kelly warned, when he's surrounded by "yes" men, the country is in true danger.
1
Self serving political 20-20 hind sight being used to sell her book and position herself for her 2024 run. Obviously, she wants to run for president along with Paul Ryan who also bailed when things got tough. The Republican party of Bob Dole, John McCain, George HW Bush, Howard Baker, etc., no longer exists. If President Obama had acted like Trump, he'd have been impeached in two days. What did she accomplish in her UN role? Got us out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement and Paris Climate Accords-how well these are working out!
2
"As Ms. Haley sees it, the president may have tried to subvert national security for his own political end, but he failed, so where’s the harm?"
Someone in the 5th Ave. fires 10 rounds from a handgun into the air, nobody gets hurt -where is the harm?. C'mon man.
The President is not above the law - at least I think so.
The whole motive for her comment is so obvious... she wants to be President - that's it.
4
Nikki Haley has my vote if she ever chose to run.
5
@AutumnLeaf
I would have considered voting for her until Haley said this: "it is not a good practice for us ever to ask a foreign country to investigate an American...I don't see it as impeachable."
Would her position change if President Warren withholds military aid to Israel unless they announced investigations of Mitch McConnell?
71
@AutumnLeaf That is clearly her plan, although I suspect/hope she just shot herself in the foot with her book.
31
@AutumnLeaf Maybe you won't have to if Trump clings to power in 2024 too, as his authoritarian tendencies take hold of the United States. He's a dictator in training.
11
I’m no fan of Tillerson or Kelly. Both have done tremendous damage to the country.
But it’s telling when even they think some of trumps acts are too much/illegal/unconstitutional and need to be checked. Nikki unfortunately doesn’t even have that judgement and is trying to set herself up for 2024.
6
Nikki Haley doesn't have much to say about the treatment of diplomats like Yovanovitch. She's no different than the other Republicans who are jumping hoops to defend Trump for partisan reasons. I'm not sure why she's been singled out for all the extra attention, as if she was worthy of more serious consideration than the rest of the pack.
9
Those speaking out while in office should be praised. Certainly not those that waited until they could profit from it.
8
Nikki Haley is positioning herself to be Trump's running mate. She'd be the first female vice president. She will attract suburban white women, they have traditionally voted Republican. They and/or their spouses have good jobs and are not about to allow Elizabeth Warren to take away their health insurance from their families, including their children. Haley will blunt some of Trump's hard edges and undermine arguments about his anti-immigrant attitude, her family being immigrants. She currently claims that Trump is "truthful" in dealing with her and skillfully defends him against charges of improper behavior. From all that, yes, she'd ignore the real problems in the White House as Michelle Cottle asserts. It's to her advantage to do so.
6
If Haley was concerned about these attempts to reign in the impulsive out of control president, why has she waited so long to expose it?
Maybe it has to do with selling a book!
Draining the swamp and exposing a cesspool!
The trump administration is the largest gaggle of "under the rock dwellers" ever gather in one city!
7
Ms Haley is so very, very wrong. I strongly believe that once an American president crosses the lines, which our current president has repeatedly crossed, all who recognize and understand how truly dangerous he is, must speak-up and take action before he does something that cannot be made whole, again.
7
Haley should be praising anyone that prioritizes the rule of law! Our Constitution is not just a document. These people took an oath to protect and defend against all enemies here and abroad and uphold the rule of law (written into the Constitution). She is no more fit to be commander and chief executive, if she is unaware that accepting (Russia) and inviting (Ukraine) foreign influence in our elections is wrong, whether Trump and his ilk gain anything from it or not. For crying out loud, this is a no- brainer, no matter how the Republicans spin it. Trump bribed the Ukrainian leader Zelensky with foreign aid (already appropriated by Congress) to appear to be (publicly announce) investigating his political rival and the 2016 election. He knew full well there was no there, there. It was wrong, unethical and illegal. We don't want foreign enemies messing with our elections, period. Trump knew this, as the day before the phone call with Ukrainian leader, Mueller had spelled out how every American should be concerned about foreign interference in our elections that was still ongoing from Russia. (Thanks to Moscow Mitch unwilling to allow the Senate to even vote on reforms.) Isaiah 5:20 'Woe to those who call evil, good'. Justice must be served. The day of reckoning will come.
4
Nikki blew it. She had the opportunity to defend her oath and didn't.
9
Ms. Haley makes clear that what disturbed her was Mr. Tillerson’s and Mr. Kelly’s arrogance. “It was their decisions, not the president’s, that were in the best interests of America, they said. The president didn’t know what he was doing.”
Mr Tillerson and Mr. Kelly could see the same blaring reality that all of sane America sees. Ms Haley can see only her path forward. I'm going with Kelly andTillerson.
10
Was there any interest in sensible governance and intellectual heft from Haley?
She opposed the Medicaid expansion as part of the ACA in a state with some of the worst health disparities in the country.
She told labor unions to stay away from the state.
When she would be asked about the confederate loser flag at the state capitol she would say “the corporations never asked about it” Then post Charleston she finally found some semblance of a soul.
When massive flooding, the worst in a century occurred a few years ago as governor Haley wouldn’t acknowledge the backed by scientific consensus that the impact was attributed to climate change. No wonder why she was Trumps tool at the UN and laughed at by member nations.
6
Nikki Haley is hedging her bets just like too many other Republican opportunists. And her criticism of the top aides who sought support in "undermining" Trump ignores the fact that the Constitution explicitly outlines several avenues for unseating a president who was not fit for or abused his position.
One of the things that struck me about "Anonymous" was that the last straw for him was Trump's intent to raise the flag all the way up instead of at half-mast for John McCain upon his passing. Why draw the line there? Well, possibly because it was so absolutely petty.
Fill in the blank: Petty ________.
Tyrant, dictator, and/or thief. Those are the answers. That is Trump. He needs to go before he destroys America and all it stands for.
4
Trump’s choices are not just “misguided” they are often “illegal.” That is what makes him dangerous. He embraces conspiracy theories as policy. He ignores his own government preferring back channels for personal gain. He uses extortion then calls it foreign policy. Many of the people surrounding him have broken the law: Manafort, Giuliani, Stone ( the list goes on). Haley wags her finger and wants to lecture us about correct procedures and protocols between WH aides and Trump. What is wrong in the WH is the president is breaking the law.
5
Where's the beef?
Most of our political class is corrupt.
Joe Biden looks directly into the camera and states, on Ukraine: 'My Son Did Nothing Wrong..".
Former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, stumbles badly when it comes to ethically responsible behavior.
2
Ms. Haley does state in her book that the President's behavior with regard to Ukraine was 'inappropriate'. Wearing a tan suit might be considered 'inappropriate' behavior for a President, asking a foreign government for dirt on your political opponents in exchange for $400 million in essential military aid is criminal.
8
Nikki Haley is serving herself, not the country, in her assertion that Tillerson and Kelly, both highly successful and well-regarded in their respective fields, approached her to minimize damage from an inept President. Neither are career politicians and both deal pragmatically with the facts before them. That the purely political Haley will try to make herself look good by ignoring inept behavior in the President is no surprise. Her refusal to help address a serious problem should tell everyone she's untrustworthy and unfit to serve the public's best interest, only her own.
6
Brilliant piece. Kudos.
3
Good article. Haley is all ambition and no substance.
3
Ms. Haley is soon to discover that a book can bring in some dollars, but can cost the author much more valuable things, like dignity and respect
6
she said. “It should have been, go tell the president what your differences are and quit if you don’t like what he’s doing. But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want. And it was offensive.”
No, Ms. Haley, you and Trump are going against the Constitution and you are offensive.
7
"....in South Carolina we believe in the rule of law, and the people of this state should never doubt that as governor, I will enforce it."
Nikki Haley
So uh now it's "not good practice" to bribe another country to get information on a political opponent.
Not enforcing the law, I guess, is her "new" approach. Typical doublespeak from a Republican looking ahead to more fruitful days.
6
When I heard Nikki Haley tell this story, it seemed unrealistic to believe that Trump’s own Chief of Staff and Secretary of State would attempt to elicit allies… for what exactly?
A coup? I don’t think so.
It seems to me much more feasible that Tillerson and Kelly had come to her asking her to help them, not to undermine Trump's stumbling presidency, but to save it.
And, as Haley herself recounts, she said no.
________
“I said, whatever you do, don't hire a 'yes man,' someone who won’t tell you the truth. Don’t do that. Because if you do, I believe you will be impeached.”
– John Kelly, recounting what he told Trump on the day he resign the Chief Of Staff position
4
Whatever reasons Haley, et al. give for looking the other way makes them enablers or worse. Cottle is correct to say that if they believed that the stable genius “posed a serious threat to the national interest, they should have refused to continue enabling him, resigned and gone public with their concerns.” Those who have left the administration have been pretty quiet about what they witnessed.
If they were truly interested in saving our country they should be volunteering to testify in the impeachment hearings! But it looks like the only ones being the patriots and putting a lot on the line are the civil servants who have spoken before Congress.
And then there is that great patriot, John Bolton, who didn’t show up to give a deposition. His lawyer wrote that “Bolton would be willing to talk, but only on the condition that a court rules that he should ignore the Trump administration’s objections.” Bolton now has a book deal with an advance that is worth approximately $2 million. The book is scheduled to be released before the election. No wonder he is not keen on testifying. If he does, the value of the book will be greatly reduced once the transcript of his testimony is released to the public. There will be fewer books sold and less money in his pocket!
SEE:
cnbc.com/2019/11/10/john-bolton-inks-book-deal-amid-court-battle-over-impeachment-testimony.html
apnews.com/9d2af632621f453595b9cf3643b936bd
3
Nikki Haley knows exactly what she is doing.
Tillerson and Kelly are dyed-in-the-wool conservatives. For Haley to publicly question them is misguided hubris. If she had doubts she should have done so privately.
Haley's book bespeaks naivety and a half-baked intellect.
As others have opined, Haley is angling for Pence's slot on the GOP ticket. It would be rich to see loyal, evangelical Pence dislodged from the vice-presidency because of Trump's political whims and hail-mary tactics.
Dear Nikki, yes, it's not good practice to talk to foreign governments about investigating Americans.
In addition, there's the matter of withholding aid to keep all of Ukraine from becoming the next Crimea. Directly or indirectly promoting Russian interests is not in the best interests of the United States.
Russia is the enemy. What don't you understand about that, Ms. Haley?
6
" ... he resisted the president’s decisions was because, if he didn’t, people would die.”
And Tillerson was perfectly correct: Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan. Where else will Trump pull the trigger on the people of the world?
5
Nikki Haley would support the argument that "I was just following orders."
6
Little Nikita Haley is not interested in speaking truth to power. Little Nikita has a political agenda.
4
There just aren't many republicans out there who give any thought to honor and integrity. Position, power, staying in office...these are much more important than honor, respect, what's good for our country. They are all little men, little women.
4
Nikki Haley is an opportunist extraordinaire. In order to make some quick money, she wrote a “Tell All” book castigating the former White House bigwigs like Tillerson, Kelly et al to appease the “Trump Supporters” yet she threw in enough sensational tidbits about Trump’s volatile nature to satisfy the “Trump Haters”. Perfect way to sell a book and at the same time to keep her own Presidential aspirations alive for the future.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Haley employed similar tactics. She initially supported Rubio and even gave a nationally televised speech criticizing Trump. However, after Trump’s win she did a “Volte-Face” and capitulated to Trump and her reward was the US Ambassadorship to the United Nations.
Haley exemplifies the adage: “Politics makes strange bedfellows” - of course, she is not only one - Lindsey Graham’s fawning sycophancy constitutes the ultimate example of “Opportunism”.
Ah well - ‘Nuff Said
5
A ready apologist for the power, Haley will gravitate toward whatever opportunity presents itself for her own aggrandizement.
2
A most egregious attempt at opportunism by Ms. Haley if there ever was one. Take advantage of the moment to advance her own political future. "Stand by her man" stating him to be a truthful president in the face of the thousand lies already perpetrated. Ms. Haley standing shoulder to shoulder to Sarah Palin one could not tell the difference.
2
With "patriots" like Haley, Graham, and Mulvaney, all unfortunately from my state, enabling the most dangerous man to ever occupy the White House they insure that Trump's actions will become normalized. How an entire party can be transformed into blathering zombies so quickly, and without any resistance, is astounding. Republicans have lost their ability to think clearly and rationally. Voters will not be forgiving.
2
Unfortunately, sometimes in public life, you have to do the morally right thing even though it will essentially end your career. And everyone in that administration knows they were taking the job with an unqualified individual, including you. Don’t use your suddenly enlightenment over right vs wrong when it’s not very enlightening. You’re wrong. Now go away.
4
To me the far more interesting question is this: If Nikki Haley married
Lindsey Graham what pronouns would they use? The Senator has always exuded that “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” persona. Ambassador Haley on the other hand is pretty “high T.” Thoughts? I certainly agree with one commenter that they both score high on the Grifter Scale that the President uses to assess new hires.
3
The question is-will liberals and feminists short circuit when they find that Nikki Haley ends up with a real chance of being the first woman president of the US?
4
You all look at Nikki Haley and see an attractive woman who you expect great things from and you all act disappointed when she fails to measure up in her ethics and judgement.
Not me.
I'm surprised anyone let her get this far.
But then again, there's that innocent attractive face she makes bank from, so sweet. At her core, Nikki Haley is an accountant who ran overseas sweatshops for her parents little company.
And again, you are all convinced she's something else, and again, you're all going to be sorely disappointed.
Accountants know the price of everything and the value of nothing. They are useful because they know the numbers, not what those numbers mean or how they are driven, but because they know them. Sadly, this knowledge is all to often mistaken for real expertise, often with a complete lack of ethics that excites the sociopaths among us with the possibilities.
The worst CEO ever? Roger Smith of GM, an accountant.
The worst Secretary of Defense ever? Robert McNamara, an accountant.
Now you are all looking at an accountant named Nikki who has gotten promoted way beyond her abilities and experience, a person with a great face, and you are wondering why you're seeing such a serious lack of ethics, such an inability to clearly see the ethics of a dangerous fool and act in the interests of safety and stability.
As for me, I'm not surprised at all that a sweatshop accountant like Nikki would have a hard time making the right choice.
I hope you all wake up soon.
6
I am quite disgusted with Haley now. First of all, she openly says that Tillerson and Kelly “confided” in her. Nice. She is showing as much backbone as Graham, and being oh so pleasant. She’s a shoo in for the next Republican nominee. Excellent
2
Nikki Haley does not know the difference between right and wrong.
7
Why did she resign her ambassadorship? I suspect she lost interest in finishing what she started. Like when Sarah Palin suddenly resigned.
3
@Long Island Dave
I thought the the timing of Haley's resignation was interesting....within days of Khashoggi's murder.
1
Nikki By God Haley makes her case for a political future and reveals herself to be so blinded by the brilliant career she feels on the cusp of seizing she can't see how she exposes herself or how very un-American are many of her statements (I was going to say 'convictions' but, well, its Nikki By God Haley).
So, for example, its a fine thing for Trump to ignore the will of Congress but did he have to be so rude about it?
Its a shame perfidious functionaries convinced The Pres not to off Assad.
And of course there's "Don wanted to break the law. He tried really hard. He lied about it, a lot. But it didn't work, did it? So Democrats are very bad people."
Couple the three volume compilation of such things with her clinically worrying displays of fake emotion and psychotic self-righteousness at the UN and you have a woman who ought never to be allowed in our Capital again. Ever.
Send her home to South Carolina where, it seems, she fits right in.
Regarding Mr. Tillerson, as out of his depth and befuddled as he may have been, if he actually said "Mr. President, I understand what you want to do, but you can’t do it that way. It violates the law.", I don't think one can get more plain-spoken, direct, courageous than that.
Especially if he said to the Donster himself. There was an adult in that room.
Tillerson was a disaster, but this instance alone sets him miles ahead of Nikki By God Haley.
3
I don’t need to know any more about Nikki Haley. Period!!
3
How interesting is the artful timing of book promotion...
2
People should remember Nikki Haley’s phony exoneration of trump. “Well he didn’t actually say he was holding the aid”. Well, the money got there eventually didn’t it?” She’s no leader in my opinion.
4
I didn’t know that anyone had an interest in reading a book by Nikki Haley ? What Tillerson or Kelly said or didn’t say is nothing
more then old fashion PR , Norah O’Donnell is better then this.
2
By here rules, she should gave tattled on her colleagues.
2
Sadly Nikki will go down in history as nothing more than a mouthpiece for huge donors that put her there as payback for there fat checks. Other than being the only veto on many votes in the un can anybody give me even one accomplishment that she had?
2
Ms. Haley hasn't done her homework.
She says, "Do I think the president did something that warrants impeachment? No, because the aid flowed. And, in turn, the Ukrainians didn’t follow up with the investigation.”
The Constitution (Article II, Section 4) says:
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
18 U.S.C. § 201(b), the bribery statute, says:
Whoever— [...]
(2) being a public official or person selected to be a public official, directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks,
receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in
return for:
(A) being influenced in the performance of any official act;
(B) being influenced to commit or aid in committing, or to collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make
opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or
(C) being induced to do or omit to do any act in violation of the official duty of such official or person;
The bribery need not be successful; it need only be attempted.
5
So, the FBI foils a terrorist plot. They stop it at the last minute. Do they let the terrorists go because they failed in their mission, so no problem?
That is Nikki Haley's rationale. Trump failed to extort Ukraine as he wanted and tried to do, so no problemo.
I am very disappointed. I thought she was better than this.
4
I almost feel sorry for Nikki Haley. She debased herself by agreeing to serve in the Trump Administration and now she’s caught between a rock and a hard place. I would have respect for her if she wasn’t so blindly obsequious to Trump, but her recent interviews indicate she is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
3
@Dersh She's not suffering from Stockholm Syndrome - she's suffering from terminal ambition.
2
someone tell Ms Nikki that whether it is your boss or the president when they ask you to do something illegal or you know they are doing something illegal you have a responsibility to report it not run and hide. Nikki has proved she doesn't have the courage or character to be a commander in chief.
3
She lectures Rex and others for lacking class, but then writes a tell all book that embarrasses both them and the President, and seems to have no point other than make herself look good. I lost a lot of respect for her through this.
4
This book shows true color of her. Democrats fantasize her be one of the adults in trump's room. She is actually a spy for trump.
2
It just makes me keep thinking that if anyone wanted to make a movie about Donald Trump’s presidency they would have a hard time figuring out how to fit in all this “stuff” as there’s so much of it.
My hard earned tax dollars going to play Mickey Mouse games with the president’s mind to protect the American people, Really eases our citizen minds, doesn’t it?
3
While it is a legit debate on what to do if you are in Trump's administration and think he is a threat to America ie quit or quietly undermine him, it is not right to say you would not impeach him after you have left office like Haley.
She sold her soul out to the devil. That is the bottom line. It will always be a black mark/stain on her record.
4
"Haley, who is often mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate for 2024, is a prime example of a Republican who is supporting Trump for opportunistic reasons. Despite lacking foreign-policy experience, she spent two years at the United Nations defending Trump’s efforts to thumb his nose at the world by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, and moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/nikki-haley-embodies-whats-wrong-with-the-republican-party
1
It reads to me like Ms Cottle is playing all sides against the middle. Not really sure if she is making a point or presenting several conflicting opinions. Normally, I have tremendous respect for NYT Editorial Board comment.
As for Ms Haley, I suspect she just lost a lot of potential votes - mine included.
1
Is it the proper role of " top aides " to undermine a duly elected president?
1
NH is just as dangerous to the people of this country, if not more so than DT. Her polished delivery is a slightly more sophisticated attempt at preserving her integrety keeping her out of the swampy frey and ingood graces with DT and his base. She will succeed with 2 out of the three goals. Her integrety will never be seen for anything but what it is by most of us. A lie. Nice try. The press needs to refuse to let her do it. If you don't, you are complicit in promoting the lie.
3
What is Nikki Haley after? A possible V.P. spot in 2020?
2
There are no "good" people around Trump, past or present.
They are all "always Trumpers."
Expect nothing from them.
2
Let's not give Nikki Haley the importance that she doesn't deserve.
4
It is universally known that more American citizens voted for Trump's adversary. Hillary, than they did for Trump.
When will the Trumpians ever feel that they have earned the right to govern with Trump as their leader?
The answer is never, because Trumpians are constantly hammering on about how perfectly legitimate they are and how illegitimate Dems are.
Their legal strategy is scrambling for one excuse after the other to cover up their copious and obvious criminality - which is the signifier of their democratic incompetence. Haley is just another self serving member of their gang.
2
Haley is as phoney as her name--apparently she thinks she can endear the electorate enough to give her the whitehouse by playing innocent and playing both sides.
She will never be president. Besides, we don't need a caste system in the USA anyway.
2
Man, Pence has got to be sweating this out.
She's really making a play for the 2nd spot.
2
Nikki Haley's only has Bachelor's degree is in Accounting. Amazing.
1
Ms. Haley makes clear that what disturbed her was Mr. Tillerson’s and Mr. Kelly’s arrogance. “It was their decisions, not the president’s, that were in the best interests of America, they said. The president didn’t know what he was doing.”
With this sycophancy and epic lack of judgement, she secures the backing of Trump voters, and hopefully, disqualifies herself in the eyes of every other potential voter.
3
What’s all this fuss about Haley. She oversaw:
> US withdrawal drom Iran nuclear deal
> US withdrawal from Paris climate agreement
> US withdrawal from U.N. human rights council
> halting US funding for Palestinian refugees
:> moving the US embassy to Jerusalem
This is hardly a legacy to be proud of.
5
Nikki gave a speech on how important it is to support the President, then grabbed the only parachute on Air Force One when she noticed the engines were on fire, opened the emergency exit and hit the silk.
2
Ms. Haley rails against those she believes “arrogant” in substituting “their decisions” for the President’s. However, such people are engaged in a process more commonly known as “thinking”...…. instead of hewing to the party line. Hopefully, and to their credit, they are engaged in making “moral decisions” which, in extreme cases, might save a nation. When their number is very few and their positions are inimical to a President’s wishes, they may be outliers. When their numbers are many and the President’s behavior is egregious, they should be considered courageous.
Ms. Haley might profit by recalling what happened when citizens of a nation used that same argument of “just following orders” (a behavior Ms. Haley seems to find admirable) rather than making “their (own) decisions”, (a behavior Ms. Haley seems to find deplorable, especially as it pertains to this administration). It was the time of the Nuremburg Trials and the defense of blindly following orders did not work well for the likes of Ribbentrop, Kaltenbrunner, Keitel and many others.
True. I am not suggesting the issue at stake here has anything to do with “war crimes”. Not yet anyway. However, there are other crimes that many believe this President has already committed. Ultimately history will be the judge; not only of our Commander-In-Chief but of all his lackeys who genuflect before him.
1
Nothing shows the fact that she was unqualified for her UN job than that Ms. Haley thought it smart to inflate her stature by finding a pretext to impotently badmouth the former CEO of EXON/Mobil.
Self-interest instead of Nation-interest. Simple ambition.
“It was their decisions, not the president’s, that were in the best interests of America, they said. The president didn’t know what he was doing.”
Yes. When you are a passenger on a bus driven by a blind driver, it is not moral to get up, tell the driver he's blind, then jump off the bus and leave the other passengers to their fate.
And this president clearly and repeatedly does not know what he is doing. And we are all passengers on the bus. Nikki Haley is doing no great patriotic achievement in leaving the incompetent president in place, whether the stays or goes. One might honestly question why she took her administration position in the first place... except for her own ample ambitions.
It is a shameful thing that so many ambitious people have blinded themselves to the greater damage in order to grab onto the coat tail of an incompetent president who demagogued his way into power. Personal ambition ahead of country. 'At long last, Republicans, have you no decency, no morals, no standards at all?!'
2
Ms Haley’s behavior is typical of people from the subcontinent. They want to have it both ways. Her naked political ambitions override principles and the interests of the country. A president who operates outside the constitution and the laws of the country must be stopped if it means disobeying him.
1
Nikki Haley has joined the long list of morally bankrupt Republicans trying to revise recent history. Haley in Washington Post interview : "Do I think the president did something that warrants impeachment? No, because the aid flowed”
No! Ms Haley, the aid only flowed only because the whistle-blower exposed Trump's scheme to extort the Ukrainians!
Here are the facts:
On July 18, acting on behalf of his boss, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney directs the Office of Management and Budget to block congressionally approved aid for Ukraine.
On July 25 Trump calls Ukrainian President Zelensky and has his now infamous conversation.
On Aug 12 the whistle-blower filed the complaint.
On Sept 9 three House committees announce investigations into whether Trump and Giuliani tried to pressure Ukraine into conducting “politically-motivated investigations under the guise of anti-corruption activity.”
On Sept 11 the administration releases the aid.
In other words, once Trump realized his bribery/extortion scheme was exposed, he immediately began the cover-up, the release of the blocked aid to Ukraine, being the first step.
Ms Haley, these are the facts and no amount of dissembling generated by you or your fellow Trump apologists will ever change the fact that Trump was caught trying to bribe and
extort a foreign leader to help his personal interests and not those of the country he supposedly leads.
3
So, according to Ms Haley's tortured logic in defending Trump, if the FBI gets wind of a plot to blow up a synagogue; identifies the plotters; gets the details of their plan; and intervenes before they can accomplish their mission, the plotters would not be prosecuted under the theory "no harm no foul"? Gimme a break!
4
Miss Haley is no more interested in the truth than anyone in the Administration. As soon as any politician writes a book it is usually a preview of their attempt to let people know that they are going to run for President. The fact that she even took a job with the Trump Administration makes me question her integrity.
5
Ambassador Haley’s interview shows she’s simply positioning herself to be the leader of the Republican Party post Trump. She had full knowledge of what Trump was up to all along. So now, before the queue forms for Republican leadership she’s trying to beat the rush.
I suspect her policies would mirror Trump’s with regard to protecting the wealthy, destroying the environment, resisting any improvement in healthcare or access to prescription drugs, legal protections for women or anyone else and rebuilding America.
If the past is prologue her time as Governor of SC gives an accurate picture of exactly what we’d get from a Haley Presidency. That she criticizes Kelly and Tillerson in the way she did demonstrates she’s got her eye on the Oval Office. She’s just another politician looking fo power, a mile wide and an inch deep.
2
Let’s see, is there any merit to Tillerson‘s dire prediction that people would die? How could she ignore the facts that are every where you want to look, including Syria-just one of the latest examples of where trumps egregious actions have led to many, many innocents being slaughtered. I am grateful for people like Tillerson and Kelley and I’m disgusted with this pathetic attempt to sell more books, Thereby enriching her self, getting on the talk circuit and banking those heavy fees. So Haley all I can say is: you go girl! Keep making those fees, investing wisely, and laughing all the way to the bank while the country goes down the rathole.
3
That she remains a republican as her friends and the president lie, cheat, and disobey the constitution tells me a lot about her.
3
Don’t kid yourselves. Nikki Haley is being groomed to run for President. Trump will resign, Pence may have to resign, (he is up to it to his elbows), Nancy Pelosi will become President for a short period of time and then... Viola: Nikki Haley! Heaven help us!
1
Nikki Haley is spineless. She puts herself first always.
2
Haley want's it both ways, and it gonna work. She wants to appear as a loyal Trumpista, and at the same time a principled statesman as she positions herself for her next political foray. Sorry Nikki, you're either one or the other; this is a Venn diagram with no intersection..
1
Wow. I never imagined that Niki Haley was so opportunistic.
Shocking and sad, that such a person who was in a top
position of the government with access to the White House is nothing but a two-faced sycophant trying to spin the Ukraine story
for future political gain. This reminds me of Bill Barr offering the president his services with the letter saying that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Niki Haley gives me the chills.
Definitely, not a patriot. After 3 years of Trump now we have to endure listening to her spins. Please spare us and go away.
2
Handmaiden to an immoral bully, eager to serve and support a manipulative capricious man.
Not my idea of an admirable intelligent woman but probably the republican ideal of a ‘perfect immigrant’
1
Haley is willing to lie about the liar-in-chief because she is comfortable with lying. Lots of republicans seems to be on her page. Patriotism has left the republican room, so democratic voters will have to pick up the pace and continue to vote them out in the hope of saving our democracy.
She can say what she wants, but we know the truth. The president lies, she lies for him...they all do. It's disgusting.
2
Haley finally shows her true colors and they are terrible. It's bad enough she defends the sorry excuse of a president, but it horrifies me how an American ambassador to the UN can so nonchalantly side step a treasonous act by the highest office in the land. What is it about asking a foreign power to investigate an American does she NOT understand as being treason? If she hopes to parlay this into a presidential run, guess who is not voting for her, ever. Shame Ms. Haley, for shame!!
I would love her to be interviewed by Chris Wallace, would he ask her to explain why she didn’t inform his majesty of the attempted ‘coup’!
Noah ‘O'Donnell should go back to reading TelePrompTers!
1
Just another sycophantic Trump appointee.. I don't think von Ribbentrop had any sort of second career..
1
“Tillerson went on to tell me the reason he resisted the president’s decisions was because, if he didn’t, people would die.”
Ms. Haley, people did die. Kurds died, caged children died, many died on hands of empowered white supremacists. Where do you get your information?
I call arrogance when somebody, president or not, states that he and only he can fix anything-single handed. I think you mixed patriotism with arrogance. This is from somebody who does not even like Bolton or Tillerson.
Must be a great fictional book.
1
Thank you Ms Cottle!
There are none so blind as those who will not see
With all due respect, Nikki Haley reminds many of us of a Sarah Palin.
3
Like any loyal American,
once Vice President Haley immediately report thetreachery to her superior and king.
1
Nikki H wants it both ways. Support Donald Trump while at the same time hold the moral high ground.
Truly pathetic.
Nikki you have squandered what little integrity you had left. Good luck with the book tour.
1
The honorable way
If you disagree with your boss, go and talk to him
If he does not listen to you, quit your job
Then talk to the public, by all means
Mattis,USMC, semper fidelis, did exactly this
But honorable men and women are scarce in politics
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/jim-mattis-defense-secretary-trump.html
It makes me sick. Throw the lot of them in jail, please. But start with Trump.
1
Nikki’s playing sickening politics. Instead of being honest and standing up for the country which she knows full well is in peril, she’s playing to the Republican base. Because....she wants to run for President. Shifty Nikki, shame on you. You’re not being genuine. We see through it and we won’t forget it.
3
Why waste ink on Nikki Haley? She’s just another sycophant among many. She is not as important or insightful or amazing as she thinks. And she is definitely no patriot.
2
A snake that is sounded by a bunch of other snakes
1
Got it.
Three of the highest placed officials in this country know that the president is incompetent, not-too-bright, possibly slightly deranged and what do they do?
Nothing.
Nada.
Nyet.
They don't even warn the American public.
Wow. What "Americans".
Well, Nikki, you can hang up any future in this country.
No way are you going to be the next - or the next to the next ---- president.
This is called a "CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER", and you sat back and "Played Republican".
We don't need you.
We already have 50+ Senators that are already playing that game, and a VP that can only smile adoringly, so, sorry, there's a surplus of un-Americans every where we look.
We don't need them, either.
You blew it, Nikki.
Your type this year is a dime a dozen.
Not so special after all......
4
Trump is not the first president to have his "orders" ignored or moderated but I am willing to bet he is the first to where top members of his administration seriously considered having him removed from office through the 25th Amendment.
Nixon was often drunk, especially during the last months of his presidency, and he would call his top aides in a state of drunkenness and tell them what he wanted them to do. They knew to ignore his ranting. As his mental state deteriorated even during the daylight hours, Nixon would often spout wild ideas about what he wanted done. If the Nixon tapes are any indication, he and his top aides spent most of their time in the last months talking about nothing but the Watergate investigation and impeachment.
There was serious concern that Nixon might try some sort of coup d'tat and refuse to leave office. Some of the many books written about this dangerous period in American life have indicated that military leaders were aware that Nixon might go off the deep end and openly discussed how to ignore his orders, if they ever came.
Niki Haley buried the lead (or lede) as the saying goes in the news business. The big story was that two top people in the Trump White House thought he was such danger to the public that he should be removed.
All patriots and all aware citizens should have put aside politics in an effort to save the nation from a clear threat from an wildly inexperienced president, one who believes he is some sort of superman.
4
I thought I liked her. Now all I can think is "where is her moral compass??"
285
@c berger
I liked her as governor. In the United Nations, she was saber-rattling and teetering over the top in exhortations. She visibly made faces behind the president to show her displeasure in some of his positions, appealing to another audience out there. I have no doubt she is positioning herself for the vice-presidential slot if not the presidency, although her foreign policy is different from Trump's, but maybe that Tweedle-Dee sitting by Tweedle-Dum inconsistency may be seen as a winning combination by some Republicans.
8
@c berger The fact that she agreed to work for Trump, and supported him, shows that she has no moral compass. This book merely confirms that.
48
@c berger -
Where is her compass? Next to her tiller.
She wants to go to tenaciously guarded places. In electoral politics, that usually means steering by a compass with different markings and headings than the rest of us use; why we’re not politicians.
She panders to Trump’s base to keep herself viable while out of public office and to keep her options open.
3
Nikki is AUDITIONING to be Trump's vice president.
3
@Darkler except there won’t be trump 2020..he’s going to be a fast disappearing act, on what excuse we don’t know.
Haley is running for President
5
“The president didn’t know what he was doing.”
Yeah, Nikki, you got that right- about everything.
6
She will be the first woman (and minority woman at that) POTUS.
4
Lol at Nikki on NPR today saying things like “the President said no one told him the Putin press conference was a catastrophe” and “I believed him”. Dear lord please never run again.
3
There is one word for people who put money and power above love of country: traitors.
7
Nikki Haley well knows what the problem is in the White House. She is not that dim witted. She is just opportunistic. Another politician. So painful to see a woman of color put up this charade out of personal ambition.
4
Nikki Haley is falling all over herself trying to shore up Trump's next VP spot ("See, he's not such a misogynist, he chose a woman VP!") and/or to set herself up for a 2020 run. Either way, her shameless sycophancy proves what a ridiculous, vacuous and dangerous candidate she would be.
4
Obviously I meant a 2024 run!
1
Trump's shakedown can be given a pass because it failed? Until now I had some respect for Haley. But you know what really eats at me? It's that Freudian choice of metaphor - she appreciated "where he was coming from" in telling the four Democrats to "go back to their countries". Where exactly was he coming from - New York, Florida or just an incorrigibly racist heart?
2
It appears that Nikki Haley is willing to be another sycophant within President Trump's revolving door administration based on her not so subtle book tour signals. Given that Ms. Haley is the former US Ambassador to the United Nations, would she have personally barged into the Oval Office to argue with Trump not to give the green light to Turkey? From the various books that have allowed insight into Trump's modus operandi as Commander in Chief, it appears that he is prone to infantile temper tantrums, is impulsive, relies on gut instinct and what is in it for him financially, unable to synthesize various information into a coherent strategy & definitely not able to read more than several bold face bullet points.
Therefore, it is highly unlikely that anyone including his own daughter and son-in-law are able to maturely converse with him once he has an idea or conspiracy theory locked and loaded within his psyche. This is why the current batch of yes people are in trouble for concocting illegal shadow diplomacy involving extorting foreign governments. Only morally questionable men like Mulvaney, Perry, Sonderland, & Giuliani would obey Trump's orders to concoct false stories about corruption of the 2020 potential Democratic candidate in exchange for congressionally appropriated funds for Ukraine's military.
I am quite sure that if Nikki Haley were the Chief of Staff, Secretary of State, EU Ambassador or VP, that she would have been sucked into Trump's illegality as well.
5
No surprise, she's just one more example of the unethical sycophants attracted to a sociopath. Rabid, lacking intelligence, empathy, integrity and judgment; petty and vindictive just like the boss.
4
Nikki Haley is self-serving.
4
After just watching NH’s live interview on Today, she is dead to me. I originally thought she could be a reasonable GOP option post Trump. But her responses in her interview indicate she, too, does not understand Trumps culpability or she is willing to say anything to try to inherit his base for her political objectives. Why now? Clearly she is trying to curry favor with him. Wanting the VP slot he will take from Pence? Poor Lindsey Graham....you thought it was yours. NH could not name one instance in which a Trump was ‘tough’ on Putin. Why? Because there weren’t any. Oh, Nickey. Shame.....selling your soul so early in life.
4
the woman has no shame
4
As others have stated Ms Haley is hedging her bets so that when she runs for President she can say both I supported the president but..... I disagreed with him on these issues see...see!?
Pathetic.
4
Why ABC chose to give this woman a platform is beyond me.
One who chooses to say it is "un-Constitutional" for WH staff to
warn her of a president's un-Constitutional dirty works, is thereby
promoting dirty works, and promoting the destruction of our Constitutional Republic. Obviously she is heart-burning over an ego need for a position in these corrupt dark hallways of the WH.
Keep talking loose lips Haley. It won't work in your favor.
This nation is NOT preparing to continue this Russian Mafia led take over of our Democracy. Go home, and have a pout.
3
Loyal Conservative Republicans understand the carnage of Trump Haley you chose your side, may your career die with your deplorable decision.
4
All Nikki Haley has done is show herself to be the opportunist she is. She's trying to find the sweet spot in the Trumpshine - too close and you get burned, too far away and you die in the cold, withering glare of those blue-eyed MAGA folks.
4
Nicky Haley has revealed her soul, which she has sold to Donald Trump. Mike Pence: beware.
4
"As ambitious as Lucifer" - reportedly a senior Trump staffer, about Haley
3
Poor Donald Trump, everyone with the exception of his sycophantic base thinks he's unmoored from reality. I must say that I'm a bit surprised to see Nikki Haley fall into that "Trump base" category. I used to think she had some credibility and integrity. I used to think that she was a politician with some real ideas and ideals. I can see now by reading this, I was in error.
How pathetic and stupid it is that she would suggest consulting about this president’s mental condition would be unconstitutional. I wonder in her mind just how cabinet members would otherwise convey their thoughts on enacting the 25th amendment to one another? Perhaps via the Vulcan mind-meld?
3
where is the conscience ? where is the back bone ? where is the courage to tell the truth ? why is wash dc filled with little people ?
because we elect them.......
shame on us
our leaders are just reflections of our own inadequacies, fears, and ignorance......
3
Nikki Haley should have alerted Trump himself if she felt so strongly about it. Cowards all!
3
Crooked Nikki in my book.
She comes across as self serving and not trustworthy
Can’t wait for the anti Hillary backlash for stealing her name.
3
Ms. Haley just trashed herself. She’s a trump sycophant and an opportunist. Nothing more than that.
2
Obi-Wan Kenobi:
“Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?”
2
The only bigger fraud than Haley is Bolton.
3
Haley and Trump: 2 peas in a prima donna pod.
3
Nicky must have been at the word processor over time the last little while to have produced this classic all on her own. And so insightful?
2
I have yet to hear from a Republican that they have EVER done anything wrong or have ever been wrong about anything Republican. The fact that ms Haley got out when she did says she chose well and nothing more. If you work for trump you are a sycophant and a toadie. Kelly and Tillerson were right to question trumps judgement. As we now see, the president is not up to the job and needs to be removed quickly. Ms Haley I suspect, is also not up to anything more than self aggrandizement.
3
to obey not matter what is how war crimes happen
1
Ms. Haley was a Trump flunky then, and she remains one now.
5
Surprise!! Like, really, is this surprising!? You could see her from a mile!! In the UN she sounded like a North Korean ambassador praising “the dear leader.” The way she talked, so bluntly, and arrogantly, she seemed to lack any measure of serious intellect appreciating the complexity of the challenges facing the world. She sounded so simplistic. So, really this isn’t surprising. My personal impression of her is she was absolutely simple-minded. This is also an indication of how she got to where she has, brown-nosing.
4
Is Quisling the kindred spirit of such an enabler who, blind to the evil at hand, gropes for a coveted career?
2
Kelly and Tillerson were the best (or at least most qualified) two people in this administration. Ironic they both tried to 'undermine' Trump. Does that include calling him a moron? The only two who refused to eat his crumbs off the floor are looking pretty good.
1
Her base is South Carolina!
Nikki Haley is, to me, in the same category as Susan Collins and Jeff Flake - trying to have it both ways, making gestures toward the good but ultimately embracing the bad. I am really tired of that kind of duplicity and can neither tolerate nor forgive it. They and false moderates like them can equivocate all they want, but they have all backed down from what might have been principled positions that could have helped to save our country. As a result, they have completely lost my trust and respect.
2
Does anyone care Nikki Haley wrote a book ? Cheap PR on Tillerson and Kelly old fashion journalism, is she running for mayor in South Carolina ?
1
Was Nicki Haley the governor of South Carolina ?
Is Lindsey Graham the Senator from South Carolina?
They seem to have a lot in common
3
I'm tempted.
Yet another boot-licker trying to justify working for a truly despicable, ignorant man doing irreparable harm to his country.
4
Coattails, Nikki?
3
What is revealed about "we're taking names" Haley is that she stood only for "we're taking names" Haley...and that she doesn't understand the situation morally or politically.
2
If I was a Republican colleague of Nikki Haley, I would be very careful about what I confided to her because it might appear in her next book, especially if she thinks she could use it to make herself look better.
6
Good suckin' up, Nikki.
6
Tillerson and Kelly belong in prison.
1
Whatever respect I had for her has vanished. She has sold herself to this vile and disgusting man and his agenda.
7
Nikki is just another sycophant with political ambitions.
Go for it girl. You will probably do well.
4
Reading this I think about how many women tell me that we women have to stick together in these political times.
No we do not, I say, and Nikki Haley is a perfect example way.
5
@JD
Errata my own comment:
...Nikki Haley is a perfect example WHY.
2
She just kissed her political future goodbye. What a toady. She’ll be working for Fox News is 3,2,1. Good riddance.
6
The issue isn't what Haley's action say about Trump but what her appointment says about him.
For the first time we had a representative in the United Nations who really understood the difference between good and evil and recognized that since the Korean War the UN General Assembly's role had been to enable evil.
For the first time, we had a representative who told the United Nations that they were responsible for the terror and lack of peace in the Middle East. We would not be lectured by them, nor compromise our principles for expediency or some concept of even handedness when the choices were between the fireman and the arsonist.
She blamed the UN Refugee agency for perpetuating a victimhood narrative, for using teaching materials that were inflammatory, and allowing their property to be used for hiding weapons. She visited the victims of terror rather than make perfunctory visits to 2-bit tyrants who were supposed to represent the Palestinians but really represented their own pockets. She didn't make some false judgment that by calling a 2 year old a "settler" they were not only a legitimate military target but "inciting" the violence against them. (NPR did this, 5/1/04)
This woman was the greatest representative to the UN we've had since Daniel Moynihan and her record demonstrates that in some respects Trump gets American power and influence and uses it for good better than Obama and his "apology" tours ever did.
For appointing her alone, Godspeed Donald!
2
@HGreenberg the UN isn't responsible for the lack of peace in the Middle East, the US is, especially after the ill-conceived invasion of Iraq.
8
@HGreenberg
You lost me at "For the first time we had a representative in the United Nations who really understood the difference between good and evil".
That's a Big stretch and it is extremely disrespectful to all of the U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations who have served well and with honor.
I can get with your last sentence "Godspeed Donald!" if what you mean is he is leaving us for other worlds. Yes Godspeed Donald!
4
@HGreenberg
Supporting trump tells me you and all his supporters just don’t get it. trump is the worst of America and Haley loses my respect for enabling him.
1
While Haley might have a point that some of these officials should have explained Trump's poor policy choices and if unable to convince him, resign, the argument rings hollow.
Trump is uniquely unfit for the office and his most dangerous instincts threaten the stability of the western world, or at least serve erode the values that offset the authoritarian regimes he seem to love.
Haley strikes me an adept politician with a high degree of intelligence. But her moral bedrock is soft mud, at best.
374
@Paul Bertorelli
When I see and hear Ms. Haley, I think of only one thing: 2024.
22
@Paul Bertorelli -- Self-serving, NOT public servant. Forget that.
12
@Rick Morris -- Gawd no.
2
At first glance, Nikki Haley raises a good point that cabinet members should not be going behind a president's back and thwarting his intentions. Rather, on principle, they should resign instead.
But, Ms. Haley, why did you stick around in the Trump administration for as long as you did, before you resigned? Apparently you agreed with the majority of Mr. Trump's edicts.
You can't have it both ways, Ms. Haley.
The truth is that everyone who has and continues to work for the Trump administration is complicit in his illegal and unconstitutional acts.
Everyone with a conscience should have resigned immediately. And then raised public concerns, with Congress and the Press, about Mr. Trump's malfeasance.
Your loyalty should be to the Constitution and the United States of America. Not to the man, Mr. Trump.
426
@MidtownATL
Why would anybody work for the Swamp Thing, in the first place?!
27
@MidtownATL Agreed, it's a binary choice. You serve the president we have or you don't. Creating a shadow government is no option.
4
@StuAtl
No. Cabinet members serve the constitution, not the president.
Their oath is quite clear, "``I, ____, do solemnly swear
that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States
against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith
and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without
any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and
faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to
enter. So help me God.
21
I continue to be very troubled by takes like this. I agree Trump presents a unique danger to our nation, particularly in areas of national security. But it is not now, nor has it ever been, the role of the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of State to run a shadow government contrary to the will of the President. If they truly believed Trump to present such a danger there are legal, Constitutional remedies for this problem: they could join with the rest of the cabinet and VP Pence to remove him from office under the 25th Amendment, or they could resign and say what they know to Congress and the American people in order to spur impeachment.
The fact that many figures with liberal opinions, like Ms. Cottle, are holding Kelly and Tillerson up as American heroes, while excoriating Ms. Haley for not participating in their illegal, extraconstitutional scheme is deeply troubling to me, personally, as it should be to every American. Whether you like Trump or not (and I personally do not), he is the legally elected President of the United States, and for him to be undermined by subordinates is tantamount to a coup.
This is a deeply troubling sign for the future of democracy in the United States, and we would all be wise not to allow ourselves to be blinded to the ethical and moral problems here, just because we personally disagree with the president being undermined.
1
In that fine tradition of Southern diplomacy, the only meaningful comment on Nikki Haley and her amoral political ambition is,
"Well, bless her heart."
3
A simple question to ask Governor Haley (and other Republicans) is this: If the President asked your advice on a plan to withhold 400 million dollars in military aid to the Ukraine until they publicly announced that they are investigating Joe/Hunter Biden (his political rival), how would you advise him? Would you tell him to "Go for it?" Why or why not? If he was reluctant to follow your advice, would you try to enlist the Secretary of State or Defense to help reason with him?
7
Amen, Ms Cottle, Amen!
Paul Ryan used the same lame excuses when he left office. This conflict is not about right versus left or red versus blue. It's about whether we can preserve our republican form of government. It takes courage to do that, a quality that has all but vanished in Washington. If John Kennedy (or Ted Sorensen) were writing Profiles in Courage today, it would be a very thin pamphlet.
3
Amb Haley and other Reps currently in office who criticism Trump's behavior as "inappropriate but not impeachable" are trying to have it both ways. In doing so, they are merely demonstrating to Americans their lack of courage and of principles. They know what Trump did is wrong AND impeachable but are unwilling to support the Constitution and our country. Consequently, they have demonstrated that they are not fit for present or future office. How many of the 50+ retiring Reps will try to save their future political options by making statements condemning Trump's actions after the 2020 election if he is defeated? They all demonstrate Profiles in Temerity.
6
If loyalty to the Country is primary, which I heard Ambassador Haley endorse in an interview, then the appropriate action for the people she thinks should have gone to the president with their complaints might have been to have gone to the public with their concerns and observations.
When John Dean went before Congress to expose the illegal doings of Nixon he did the Country a service.
We now have some people who are putting loyalty to the Country above loyalty to a person.
We need to see more.
11
Difficult issue. Insubordination by the President's cabinet members or executive branch bureaucrats is worrying. It's the "deep state" vs. the Constitution.
I think that executive branch subordinates have the right to refuse to implement illegal orders, but to secretly subvert Presidential orders because they are "unwise"? Then who is in charge of our government?
1
@Mmm: Trump is insubordinate to Congress. The notion that the president can hide official activities from Congress is outright defiance of the Constitution.
10
@Mmm How about it is the Constitution against a incompetent and corrupt President.
2
“So, do I think it’s not good practice to talk to foreign governments about investigating Americans? Yes,” she told The Washington Post. “Do I think the president did something that warrants impeachment? No, because the aid flowed...".
We need to remind Ms. Haley that the reason the "aid flowed" was because of the outrage expressed by Congress and most Americans when they learned why it was being withheld by the President, and that the aid flowed two days before President Zalensky was scheduled to announce that an investigation was being undertaken in the Ukraine (at the request of President Trump).
The aid only flowed when it became clear to Trump that he was about to get massive blowback.
13
@James Barth: Nikki Haley knows all that, and she also knows the Republicans she needs to vote her into office don't know that and don't want to believe it.
4
Nikki Haley is a "nice person" to have as a neighbor lady in the deep south or anywhere. However, she was never qualified for her position which is why she was there. President Trump, like Mr.Bolton and others of note do not like the U.N very much because we cannot control it with an iron fist. Those opposed to the U.N. don't get it - that the United Nations could have been the foundation for world peace and even world government which is the only hope for peace and serenity someday in the future. Haley is genuinely kind but her reputation among foreign diplomats including our allies is more giggle and niggle and, as Suzanne Vega wrote - "Standin' so loyal while you sit so royal" Ms. Haley may be a Machine Ballerina as some infer, but her talents in no way prepare her for any powerful public office especially the Oval - unless, of course, she challenged President Trump in a primary, won and then appointed a cabinet of stunningly effective men and women with deep and wizened backgrounds.
6
You've obviously fallen for the age-old Southern damsel act. Haley is a shrewd operator, and only distinguished from her typical Republican compatriots by the fact that she is much smarter than most. You underestimate her at your own peril. Most disappointing is that, by seeing fit to compromise and cajole with Trump's moral and constitutional failings, she has tainted herself with his corruption.
@Jeff Koopersmith
“A cabinet of stunningly effective men and women with deep and wizened backgrounds”.
I’m thinking they couldn’t possibly be Republicans. They have sold their souls to the devil TRump.
Mike will be gone in 2020. Haley will be the #2 on the ticket. (sad season for America when this happens)
7
If Tillerson and Kelly and others were seriously concerned about this President's incompetence and maliciousness, they should have invoked the 25th Amendment. Quitting nor undermining produce the necessary impact nor fulfill their constitutional obligation. Their failure to take the proper actions suggests lazy thinking and cowardice--and Haley's limited comprehension of the situation.
7
Nikki Haley is half right. If the President is a threat, the Cabinet, confirmed by the Senate has a duty to remove him. Resigning is the right thing to do if you have a policy disagreement. Standing up and protecting the country from a mad king is what a leader with a commitment to their country and the Constitution takes personal integrity.
Nikki Haley, has fallen short in the countries time of need. That's certainly not a quality we can ignore when she decides it's her turn to run for President.
7
Potentially the most Orwelian thing said so far in this circus. This talking point used by Trump, Haley, and many Republicans that to criticize them in any way is, "bashing America". America is getting a good bashing all right-from with in. Nikki Haley has her hammer in hand.
It is also horrifying to think that Rex Tillerson and John Kelly were briefly in charge of the moral compass of the United States, and even worse that even they are not there anymore.
5
Wow, what a peek into the thinking of the intelligent person who has upside-down vision. She's obviously not alone in the upside-down vision, but she does stand out in her intelligence, if we want to call upside-down vision intelligent. This seems to be a problem of moral insensitivity. Perhaps Ms. Haley is, herself, a very ethical person, but confronted with the alarming and dangerous moral and mental imbalance of Trump, she is morally blind and repudiates and publicly exposes the people trying to prevent some of the worst damage. This is an ominous sign of what Haley would be like as President.
6
I was astounded to hear Haley say, in an interview I heard on NPR, that Trump's aids said that his comments during the press conference with Putin in Helsinki were "great!" Haley said that "Trump was very surprised" when the reaction to his saying that 'he believed Putin' was negative. It's pretty obvious that the people who surround Trump just tell him what he wants to hear. They are like Lou Dobbs thanking 'Trump for making great weekends possible for all of us.' Haley said that even though his words about Putin were soft "he has been the toughest president on Russia." Trump was forced to put sanctions on Russia by a bi-partisan group of Senators! Haley lies and rationalizes Trump's ignorance and bad judgement on everything.
5
Nikki Haley is a shrewd politician. She confirms that the president's staff knows he is dangerously incompetent and, at the same time, positions herself as the president's defender. Ms. Haley does not occupy the higher ground. She has no right to criticize those protecting Americans from Donald Trump's "worst impulses" because she is not protecting Americans from a corrupt president.
6
I heard Ms.Haley being interviewed on VPR today.
I found her preachy, holier-than-thou and unlikeable.
Her voice got on my nerves ,too.
She insulted Rex Tillerson and General John Kelly by upbraiding them about what she perceives as their "bad behavior".
She makes excuses for Trump's aberrant behavior : she's evidently currying favor. For me, since we're talking about an incompetent leader, that's self-abasement.
I don't trust her; I never have.
8
Nikki is obviously running for president. She is walking a very thin line between her own ruthless ambitions and trumpism. It is a precarious line to walk. I found her southern charm bit offensive as she walked that wobbly line of defense.
6
Haley is a partisan hack with unbridled political ambitions. I've long seen her as poison. She always does what's in her best interest no matter what position she happens to be holding at the time. Her naked self-interest occasionally overlaps with those of her constituents, but make no mistake, she's the worst sort of politician. She has spine only when it benefits her. She lacks it when it doesn't.
I'm sure it's quite hard to find some sort of moral high ground given the shifting political sands of the moment, and she's doing a better job than most, but that's precisely what I mean when I say that she's poison. She has contorted herself in knots of moral ambiguity--the sort of thing only possible by snakes or the spineless. Whichever she is, she's not to be trusted. Ever.
4
No, it's not just "tempting to dismiss Ms. Haley ... as an opportunist."
She most certainly is an opportunist.
What we are witnessing is the first "post-Trump" effort to steer a course between genuine disagreement with Trump and the reality of a broken GOP, which no longer has room for moderates.
It's clear that she still has ambitions for the White House and realizes that she needs the ignorant to vote for her. This is the dilemma for every GOP candidate. They raised a golem from racism and anti-intellectualism. Now they have to live with it.
Every GOP candidate for the next twenty years will be bent like a pretzel unless they collectively do the right thing and cast out Trump from the Presidency because it is genuinely the right thing to do.
3
I am disappointed with Nikki Haley today! Her argument in support of Donald Trump was pathetic and she can forget seeking higher political office.
4
Whether it is Haley because of her political aspirations, or Senator Graham because og? well because of some sort of yet to be revealed Kompromat, the Republican hierarchy won't be treated well by history. And as they twist and turn, revising history, revising the acceptable norms of behavior to suit the moment, revising the rules of logic to explain Trump, I am reminded of pretzels.
Human Pretzels. I am waiting for a political cartoonist to draw them up that way, maybe laying in a bowl sitting in Trump's hand. Trump is getting ready to dump them a garbage can labeled; for junk food. His comment?
"They're stale, get me some new ones. Some perfect ones..."
3
Ms. Haley apparently thinks that she needs the Trump base of supporters to further her own political ambitions. Kelly and Tillerson are heros for putting the country before their loyalties to Trump. She is obvious and disgusting.
2
Ms. Haley's ambitions exceed her grasp of current realities. She will spend the rest of her political life trying to remove the stain of her misguided support of Trump's malfeasance.
4
If a noble Republican exists in these days of Trump I would like to see him or her step forward. As far as I can tell, conservatives with a conscience like David Frum and Max Boot have had no choice but to leave the party and become vehement and articulate anti-Trumpers.
Nikki Haley is obviously as power hungry and craven as the rest of the GOP. Every last one of them is a pathetic coward. Not only will they not stand up for what is right against a lawless and self-serving president, but they are working against the clear best interests of the country to get him reelected. A pox on all their houses.
3
Haley's self righteous assertion that others are being insubordinate and subversive to Trump's direction is a gross mischaracterization of reality, it is ignoring Trump's corrupt direction that cannot be followed by anyone respecting the constitution or rule of law. For example Trump directed Don McGahn to put a false note in the file to protect Trump, an obstruction of justice, and McGahn refused to follow Trump's direction - that is neither insubordination or subversive.
1
Haley is playing both sides of the street so that she can keep her presidential aspirations alive. I find her loathsome as a result. She made sure that she escaped with her reputation in tact but she is squandering it now. She is simply more calculating than Trump and has better manners. But she is an opportunist none the less and shouldn't be let near the White House.
2
"Rather than being upset that top aides were conspiring to undermine Mr. Trump, she really should be more concerned that we have a president whom top aides saw as a threat to the country."
No. Although I disagree with N Haley on everything else, she's right. And Anonymous is wrong. Like it or not, fairly or unfairly, the loathsome DJT is president. If you object to his policies, do it to his face, or quit and tell the public why.
If these aides don't like what they're seeing, their problem isn't with the president, their problem is with the whole rotten system that put a warped, unqualified doofus like him in office in the first place.
2
If I were a betting man, I’d say Haley is having sidebar conversations with Trump about getting on the ticket as VP in 2020. It’s just the kind of move that could let all these hypocrite conservatives save some face and justify betraying g our country when they go vote.
Assuming he isn’t in the brig at that point.
And she’s probably making a double play, thinking she could be the de facto next president if impeachment drags on...and ultimately succeeds.
4
These people in the administration are not "propping up a morally bankrupt regime."
They see themselves as doing damage control, for which we owe them thanks.
The president guy has a knee-jerk reaction to fight when his ideas are confronted.
The worst thing to happen is that his bright ideas are implemented by loyalists behind the cover of his noisy rants and the splashy scandal around firing his critics.
The best thing to do is to practice a competent containment policy until he's voted out - or until he self-combusts and convicts himself.
1
I will never vote for Nikki Haley, apart from the fact that she is a Republican, because she is a self-serving person who is clearly putting Trump and her own ambitions above the good of the country. Her ambition is shameless and her patriotism is sadly lacking.
3
Trump's staff had the options of staying inside power and trying to save the country, or making a dramatic gesture, walking away from the power and leaving an opening for a sycophant.
I believe the more noble choice, an ugly one. was to remain with power -- I feel sympathy for those decent people who had to make the choice.
Nikki Haley betrayed her oath, stood by as Trump ran roughshod over foreign policy. Country & democracy over party are what's needed. If she thinks loyalty to criminal, cruel Trump will boost her political chances, dream on!
3
Haley’s defense of Trump’s attempt to extort political help from Ukraine with a threat to withhold military aid is truly lame. She says the attempt was “not good practice,” but since Trump wasn’t successful, he didn’t do anything wrong. Using that logic, attempted murder wouldn’t be a crime, armed robbery wouldn’t be a crime as long as nothing was actually stolen, etc.
Ambition often makes people say and do stupid things. Haley has fallen into the trap of her own ambition.
2
Nikki Haley is like old fish, the more exposure the worse the odor. If she thought Trump was all that great why did she quit half way through his term?
She "stood up to Tillerson and Kelly" and didn't join their coup. Who cares, the whole lot was awful from the very beginning. Trump's knack for picking the persons who would demean the office assigned to them helped create the mess the country is now in. There were no good guys and bad guys....just people who had no business running the country.
3
Niki Haley would have voters believe that she is a profile in courage when in fact the truth is just the opposite. She is merely pandering to the Trump base, which demands that facts or evidence or the rule of law or the US Constitution not be allowed to stand in the way of defending a corrupt and lawless president. This cynical ploy is similar to that of another South Carolina politician, Lindsay Graham, who has also chosen political careerism over defending and protecting democracy against clear Constitutional violations and abuses of power by an out of control president.
1
I thought Nikki Haley was the one person who might escape the Trump sphere without destroying her political viability. Instead she ruins her own escape by bathing herself in weakness. Farewell Nikki. Hope the book sells well. It is your swan song.
4
A clever and ambitious shape shifter. Too bad she’s ‘dipped in Trump’ now. Ultimately that has to hurt her chances.
5
Former Florida congressman David Jolly answered the question “What has happened to the Republican party? ‘There is no greater example of selling your soul to a charlatan than what Republicans are doing right now. There are in today’s Republican party spineless politicians rotten to the core without virtue without any level of human integrity devoid of self respect self reflection…Without courage and without the moral compass to recognize their own malevolence.’
For those like Lindsey Graham who decry “secret” hearings, & call to out the whistleblower, beware of what you wish for. Attempts to smear the heroes & honorable witnesses to Trump’s bribery & extortion will ultimately fail.
Time to stand up to the corruption, or be called out for complicity.
4
Any credibility that Ms. Haley had has now evaporated. I guess Trump is not a liar, cheater, destroyer of public policy as well as creating potential health disasters through denial of science. She is as dangerous as Trump.
4
Who knows what Nikki Haley is thinking. My own guess? She's thinking Trump could dump Pence and adopt Haley.
What is clear, is that in the midst of the chaos of a truly incompetent Presidency, no one at all has the courage to tell us the Emperor is naked. Telling Trump about his own invisible fashion sense just gets you tweeted off the island.
Congressmen excuse him; McConnell ignores him, as if he doesn't even exist; and Haley makes a play to use his popularity with his base to promote herself.
This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.
3
The people working behind the scenes to limit Trump's damage to the country and world claim they can't resign because, if they do, they will be replaced by toadies who will do whatever the president wants. And they have been proven correct time and time again.
2
I generally agree with Ms. Haley's viewpoint on duty to the president. I couldn't have ever agreed to take a position with this administration in the first place, but if I had thought that takin such a position was a good idea, I wouldn't use the position to undermine the person I agreed to support. Either way I don't respect Ms. Haley. How could any self-respecting woman choose to work for this horrendous misogynist?
4
Haley was endorsing a one-man rule.
That is not what happens under the Constitution. She knows that.
Kelly was correct - providing info to the president is what has guided this country.
Haley is an absolute disgrace.
3
Nikki Haley is dumping a load of fertilizer into the Press. Both Kelly and Tillerson (and Mattis) are all old enough to be her father, all were professionals (albeit early in their careers) when she was in diapers. So it seems rather inappropriate for them to be lectured by her.
What Haley is doing it trying to tie herself to Trump while standing far enough away to not get spattered by the constant flinging mud. She's clearly positioning herself to go for the Big Chair, without ticking off Trump voters, or Trump himself, while standing clear.
It's important that independents, Democrats, Liberals, and Progressives recognize that Nikki Haley's veneer of reasonableness and compromise is a big phony, as is she.
What's really ironic is that Haley has HELPED rehabilitate both Rex Tillerson and John Kelly by attacking them. They are right. She is wrong. Both Tillerson and Kelly put their oath to support, protect, and defend the Constitution first, not the President. Which is what you're supposed to do and what Haley didn't do--she put Trump first.
No, she doesn't look good...
3
My impression is that these statements by Haley are a pathetic attempt to kiss the ring of King Trump. Really low-class behavior toward her former colleagues and a let down to the American people. Those who have come forward to tell the truth about the abuse of power in the White House are honorable. Haley is not.
1
"Ms. Haley makes clear that what disturbed her was Mr. Tillerson’s and Mr. Kelly’s arrogance. It was their decisions, not the president’s, that were in the best interests of America,"
Ms. Haley wants to sell her book and she is coming up with all non sense. the whole country knows that Tillerson and Kelly were trying their best to save this country from this mad man, our president. Ms.Haley was on the wrong side. Her motive is not the best interest of America, but selling her book and making money, this is not going to help her future presidential ambitions.
2
"to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want. And it was offensive.”"
Does it go against the Constitution to undermine a President? Then Mitch McConnell and the Republican Congress should've been impeached long ago (hello, Merrick Garland?)
I'm offended by all these Republicans who support this POTUS in public, quit, and then write a tell-all book. That goes against what I want, as an American citizen. I'm also offended by those who support this POTUS in public, quit, write a book, and then plan on running for office, as if we'll forget. Nikki Haley is the most cynical of creatures, an opportunistic politician. See also: Jeff Flake, Paul Ryan.
2
“So, do I think it’s not good practice to talk to foreign governments about investigating Americans? Yes,” she told The Washington Post. “Do I think the president did something that warrants impeachment? No, because the aid flowed. And, in turn, the Ukrainians didn’t follow up with the investigation.”
This seems like the lamest rationalization in the world. I imagine Trump walking into a bank, going up to the cashier and saying "If you don't hand over all your money, I'm going to shoot you." But before things unfold further, he hears approaching sirens, and runs out the door. Prosecutors present security video footage of him at the trial. And defense attorney Haley counters with "Hey, no one was shot. He didn't take any money. I don't see the problem."
It's always sad to me when my fellow citizens are duped by Donald Trump, but I have a sense of their frustration with the world and the hands they've been dealt, and their need for Trump's unending lies to be true. But when theoretically smart people (emphasis on "theoretically") present the sort of pathetic hogwash Haley's argument represents, that level of personal corruption is just offensive.
Don't buy her book.
3
As a Navy veteran ('65-'69) and a retired federal prosecuting attorney (1995-2010) I offer the following.
Haley demonstrates most disturbingly, that she is too ill informed [like 45] on many issues not the least of which are the rule of law and the Constitution to be president. In this regard, her claim that because 45's bribery/extortion plot did not succeed there is no impeachable offense is beyond laughable.
Moreover, it seems to me that since she has designs on being president, another truly laughable notion, she will continue to praise 45 until he is impeached and removed from office so she can then tell teary-eyed supporters, 'I stood by your man until the very end so you must vote for me to carry out his legacy [as a female version of him].'
Finally, we need to keep in mind that calling Haley, or any Republican for that matter, a hypocrite is of no moment. For the word "hypocrite" does not exist in the Republican lexicon and/or dictionary. Thus, calling out Haley for her past condemnation of 45 is a waste of time. Let her run for president and see how far she gets.
4
"It's tempting to dismiss Nikki Haley" because she is a blatant opportunist exemplifying the worst sycophantic behavior, ala Graham and McConnell, merely to ascend to higher office. Enough of these unpatriotic, self-serving miscreants, they are the problem, not the solution and they are disgusting.
2
Haley has become a political gold digger. At the least, she's setting herself up for a presidential run in 2024 by endearing herself to Trump and his supporters. Or could she have her eyes on the vice presidency in 2020? I could definitely see Trump dumping Pence for Ms. Haley.
2
Maybe Kelly, Tillerson, McMaster and the rest aren't keeping quiet about the Trump abuses they were privy to simply because they're afraid of the president's tweets.
Maybe they're afraid of getting killed.
2
Ms Haley is an attractive, well spoken, ambitious and ‘mildly ethnic’ person who can speak about being an immigrant without looking, sounding, smelling or ‘acting’ like one - the perfect republican immigrant poster child!
But she should have kept her mouth closed and not written this book.
Sometimes knowing less about a politician is far better than knowing more.
Now I know that she is not the intelligent, principled empathetic person I had thought.
Now I know she is morally flexible, expedient and easily bent to do the bidding of an abusive powerful man.
Now I know she is more willing to be a handmaiden to an immoral bully than to be a courageous woman of character and integrity
Now I know she is neither admirable nor trustworthy, and that what I thought was poise is actually hard, ambitious avarice.
She should never have written this book.
2
This is not a classroom setting where the function of government is acted out to educate the young people of America. It is real time policy and politics in a very dangerous context, where Russian aggression threatens a sovereign country's existence. Haley says the aid came through in the end, so who cares what happened before that. That argument is utter facile nonsense, and points to a failure to see reality as an adult. Before Haley has anything further to contribute about how things work in the blood, sweat, and tears, of war, and peace, and geo-politics, she should go back to school.
1
Nikki Haley is behaving like Roz in 9 to 5. It is on the nose enough that Trump is a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot but, rather than whistleblowing in presumably good faith ,she just seems to be tattling about an attempt to spoil the plans of a man she is craven and conniving loyalty to. Basically saying "can you believe how these people wanted to thwart the plans of someone they felt was inept and dangerous to everyone?" seems to take us for fools who cannot listen to a sentence for substance or as people as amoral as she is being. There were people who can be understood for reflexively voting the party they were loyal to for years, who somehow assumed Trump would change or tried, as some did, to shape his Presidency and later understood the futility in both but it is another to jump on the Trump Train so late in its schedule. Shame on her.
1
Either there's a massive conspiracy to remove Trump or he IS incompetent and unqualified.
Incompetent and unqualified has my vote.
2
If Nikki Haley thinks that primly reprimanding Tillerson and Kelly for disloyalty will somehow bolster her political profile, she is mistaken. Her defense of Trump reveals her as a political opportunist... and a profoundly ignorant one at that. She's not hitching her wagon to a star; she's hitching it to a toxic landmine.
1
With all due respect Ms. Haley, the real problem in the White House is that the Constitution has been ignored, and Trump has not been removed by the 25th Amendment due to the cowardice of individuals such as Kelly and Tillerson. We can fully expect McConnell to pile on to the cowardice in plain view when the impeachment process goes to the Senate. We will eventually know the bully-in-chief for his defining real character trait: coward.
1
I'm not sure what to say about this from any angle. Who would ever guess the people entrusted with the health and welfare of this nation were so feckless and ridiculously unqualified.
And that goes for Ms. Haley as well.
I've always considered her a self-absorbed light-weight. Apparently, her judgement is poor and she'll do anything to get her way, as well.
1
Nikki Haley is nothing more than an opportunist talking from both sides of her mouth. Yes with political ambitions. unfortunately it is hard to forget how she behaved like a Trump mouth piece with a harsh persona.
A vengeful tell all book only confirms what a calculating go getter she is.
2
So the guardians of the universe - Tillerson, Kelly, Mattis et al are all long since gone and somehow president Trump has failed to blown up the world. Indeed, disengaging from the never ending foreign wars that those clowns advocated will in the end probably keep hundreds of thousands of people FROM dying.
I’m not sure Haley is clever enough to have planned her book to be a take down of Trump, but her defenses are laughable. As you so rightly point out she ignored that top aides were alarmed by Trump. Instead of whining that they didn’t support their boss, they tried to protect the American people from a lunatic. There are rule followers like Haley, who contend if it is a rule, it must be just (like giving a child prostitute who was sold into sexual slavery — prison time). And then there are those who recognize rules as guidelines that may need to be changed or even broken in order to right an injustice. The impeachment process is lengthy and narrowly focused. Another election also not very efficient at removing the destructive person in the Whitehouse. But top aides can act quickly to protect us all. Just like the whistleblower that started the impeachment proceedings.
1
So Nikki Haley will say or do anything for power. Every time she opens her mouth there is less to respect for her. She’s rapidly closing in on zero respect.
1
Ye gods, these people are so petty, mean and self-absorbed -- both in office and out of it. The more they reveal of themselves, the less surprising the chaos in governance.
The salient takeaway for me is that people of Haley's former stature are so blind to their games that they can go all the way through the objective process of researching, compiling and writing a book on their experiences, without waking up to the neurotic twist and saying "wait a minute"...
2
If there were any doubts before, Nikki has not so insidiously put them to rest. This lady is looking to be an eventual president or perhaps on her ex-boss's ticket come 2020. Just think of the latter: Trump would throw Pence under the bus in a nanosecond if he can get a woman who bows before him to run as his veep. But my estimation of her sinks even lower than it does of Pastor Pence. Her words spoken and written are those of an opportunist who will sacrifice her soul for a blatantly amoral and corrupt man. She is the yin to Trump's yang, indeed, a marriage of flawed characters, of arrogance, of egos run amok.
1
Everyone's saying that Nikki Haley is showing loyalty to Pres. Trump to further her ambition to run for president in 2024. Nonsense. She's positioning herself to run as vp in 2020. If there is a woman on the Democratic ticket, you can count on it.
"But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution and it goes against what the American people want. And it was offensive.”
Are there any similar quotes from the Haley showing her outrage with 8 years of the GOP undermining and obstructing every move of President Obama? Where was her 'offence' taken at the undermining of the Constitution between 2008 and 2016?
Didn't think so. She's just another immoral self-serving hypocrite from a party that has an over-supply of them.
When I was in high school we called people like Nikki Haley a "brown noser."
It was derogatory. But it describes a person who is disingenuous, phony and always willing to cozy up to authority to advance their own interests.
They were never team players and usually thought of themselves as smarter and more cunning than everyone else.
Ambassador Haley wants to be president. So while on one hand claiming undying loyalty to Trump, she also declares her independence from him. Smart move.
Her other smart move was getting out of the administration before the troubles started. So no sooner was the Ambassador imitating Trump's tough talk at the UN, then she was also making plans to jump ship before it started sinking.
I'm sure that she's having secret talks with advisors now so that if Trump gets impeached she could claim to be the one to carry his banner in 2020.
Of course, she's never said anything about his record of sexual assault against women. But as I said, she's very cunning.
1
"they weren’t being insubordinate, they were trying to save the country,” she writes."....What a terrible idea. Why would anyone want to do that when it might threaten their future political career.
1
Ms Haley's posturing reveals a level of self interest characteristic of most Republicans in DC. She's not showing any courage here. She's just positioning herself in case Trump loses or decide to get rid of Pence in 2020. And in doing so she's going after two people who are not your "regular politicians" ( so no risk taken here) to show how loyal she is to Trump.
The woman is fake.
2
No president has asked so much of his supporters and sycophants and given them so little in return.
Haley is auditioning for Pence’s slot or maybe Trump is keeping her on ice to keep Lindsay Graham in line. They are all so awful. The worst ones are the ones who vote for these terrible people.
1
Haley said Trump’s actions re Ukraine aren’t impeachable because the aid flowed. The way I have understood it is that just asking for a “favor though” is a crime. It’s why they can arrest people for drug sales even though the sale never occurred. Also, the fact that Trump dangled the aid and the prospect of a meeting, which Ukraine’s president desperately wanted, is a form of extortion.
So what were these "hare brained" ideas Kelly and Tillerson were trying to undermine? What other crimes was Trump trying to commit? What other corruption was afoot? Slap Ms. Haley with a subpoena and let's hear what she, right along with Kelly and Tillerson, has been keeping from the American people she claims to serve.
1
Let's say the police catch a person just seconds away from killing someone. They take away that person's gun. The intended victim escapes death. Is it okay for the person who attempted murder to walk away scot-free?
Nikki Haley is a political hack who puts personal interests and party above country.
"Flattery will get you nowhere" is an old saying.
With Trump, it gets you everywhere.
How Haley thinks that walking all over the constitution is good for the country, is beyond my thinking.
1
Superlatives rarely hold true. Though at this stage of Trump's presidency, I don't want anyone who worked for him, served him or related to him, to hold public office. The taint is too strong. Each of these people chose to work for someone on record as able to shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it while the other hand can grab women wherever. He said this before any of these swamp creatures signed on.
“It was their decisions, not the president’s, that were in the best interests of America, they said. The president didn’t know what he was doing.”
Check. Perfectly true. And what does Ms. Haley not understand about that? Kelly and Tillerson had actual significant experience upon which to draw in weighing what an immature, inexperienced, and pitifully incompetent individual was doing.
I once entertained at least some cautious optimism about Haley as harbinger of what the GOP might look like after DT. No more. Just another GOP wanna be sycophant.