The stories you want. The opinions that matter.
No, thanks
Tag: un ambassador
Nikki Haley

On Campaign Trail, Haley Targets Trump's 'Mental Fitness' And Putin 'Bromance'

While on the campaign stump in New Hampshire, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley suggested that former President Donald Trump was so friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin that she felt it necessary to take the matter directly to her former boss.

Mike Warren of The Dispatch tweeted about Haley's remarks on Trump's "bromance" with Putin while covering her campaign stop in Keene, New Hampshire on Saturday. The former South Carolina governor also addressed Trump's widely ridiculed remarks during a Friday night rally, in which he mistakenly referred to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as "Nikki Haley," saying his rival's name four times.

"[W]hen you're dealing with the pressures of the presidency, we can't have someone else that we question whether they're mentally fit to do this," Haley said.

During her time at the United Nations, Haley was a frequent and outspoken critic of Putin. In 2018, shortly before resigning from her post, Haley criticized Putin's attack on Ukrainian ships, saying his "outlaw actions" should be condemned by the international community.

"What we witnessed this weekend is yet another reckless Russian escalation," Haley said at the time. "The United States continues to stand with the people of Ukraine against this Russian aggression."

Just a few months prior, then-President Trump famously defended Putin during a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, following the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia had meddled in the 2016 presidential election to help Trump get elected. Even Republicans panned Trump's defense of Putin, with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) saying there was "no question" the Putin administration interfered in the election. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) called Trump's remarks "disgraceful," adding "no prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant."

Haley is attempting to shore up support among New Hampshirites ahead of the Granite State's first-in-the-nation primary on Tuesday. Polls show her trailing Trump by roughly 13 percentage points.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Trump Launches Xenophobic Attack On Haley (His Former UN Ambassador)

Trump Launches Xenophobic Attack On Haley (His Former UN Ambassador)

In a Tuesday night post on Truth Social, Donald Trump referred to Nikki Haley by a misspelled version of her first name. The move seemed extremely reminiscent of Trump’s repeated use of “Barack HUSSIEN Obama,” and like that usage, Trump’s post appears meant to drive home the fact that Haley’s parents are immigrants.

“Anyone listening to Nikki ‘Nimrada’ Haley’s wacked out speech last night, would think that she won the Iowa Primary,” Trump wrote, “She didn’t, and she couldn’t even beat a very flawed Ron DeSanctimonious, who’s out of money, and out of hope.”

Haley’s actual first name is “Nimarata.” It would be tempting to think Trump mangled the spelling to bring it closer to “Nimrod,” but this is probably just another example of Trump’s inability to spell in any language. Following Trump’s resorting to birtherism against Haley just before the vote in Iowa, this shows Trump has now moved to the blaring dog whistle part of his campaign plan. Next stop: full-bore racism.

Despite frequent claims on the right, Nikki Haley did not change her name for politics. Nikki (Punjabi for “little one”) was her middle name at birth and the name she was always called growing up. Haley is her married name.

But it was only a matter of time before Trump dragged some part of Nimarata Randhawa–Haley’s birth name–into the primary season. Trump sycophant Vivek Ramaswamy already did this in an effort to mock Haley and gain favor with Trump supporters.

Trump may have originally been relaxed, and even encouraging about Haley’s run, but now that Haley and Trump are in a tie heading into New Hampshire, both of their comments are getting a little harsher. In her last Iowa debate performance, Haley said, "Just because President Trump says something doesn't make it true.” That might be the mildest possible criticism, but it’s still seen as high heresy in some Republican circles.

Trump naturally responded by calling Haley “wacked out” (again, spelling is not his thing), a “birdbrain,” and reminding everyone that she is other, other, other. Seeing that New Hampshire, like Iowa, is whiter than a bottle of bleach spilled on snow, that may seem like a good bet. But Trump’s unleashing his birtherism also harkens back to some of his most noteworthy moments of public ridicule.

As recently as December, Trump was reportedly checking out Haley as a potential vice president. That might seem to conflict with Trump putting up a social media post saying she was ineligible. It might also be a bit uncomfortable to have Haley on the ticket when Trump has promised to end birthright citizenship.

But in a pinch, both of them could probably make this work. Of course, this is only possible if Haley survives the worst thing Trump could throw at her.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

New UN Ambassador Is Billionaire Trump Donor And Science Denier

New UN Ambassador Is Billionaire Trump Donor And Science Denier

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

President Donald Trump promised he’d always hire the “best people” during his presidential campaign, but not only has that turned out to be false, he’s had more turnover than any president in modern history, if not ever.

The president is fond of playing “whack-a-mole” with his personnel problems, by shuffling the players around instead of actually looking for, as he put it, the “best people.”

For example, Mick Mulvaney joined the Trump administration after serving as a U.S Republican Congressman. He served as Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, then added to his resume the title of Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Mulvaney then became Trump’s Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing embattled and disgraced John Kelly – while giving up his CFPB job but still retaining the role of Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Fast forward to Friday evening.

President Trump has just announced his latest nominee to become Ambassador to the United Nations, after his earlier nominee, who would have replaced Nikki Haley, was forced to withdraw her nomination after illegally hiring as a nanny an immigrant unauthorized to work in the U.S.

“I am pleased to announce that Kelly Knight Craft, our current Ambassador to Canada, is being nominated to be United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump announced via tweet. No formal White House announcement has been made yet. “Kelly has done an outstanding job representing our Nation and I have no doubt that, under her leadership, our Country will be represented at the highest level. Congratulations to Kelly and her entire family!”

Trump neglected to mention that Knight Craft is Trump’s current Ambassador to Canada, so he’s just shuffling the players around again.

Knight Craft is perhaps best known for her science-denying remarks, saying she believes in “both sides” of climate change. (There are not two sides.)

Meanwhile, the President also neglected to mention Knight Craft, along with her billionaire coal baron husband, donated millions of dollars to Trump’s presidential campaign.

Ambassador to the United Nations is not the same as Ambassador to Canada. There are few national security issues America’s Ambassador to Canada would be relied upon to keep Americans safe.

But the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations holds a key national security role. They sit on the UN Security Council and represent the U.S. to the rest of the world.

There is no indication Knight Craft is qualified for the role.

Knight Craft does hail from Kentucky, where she has also been a major GOP donor, or, as one Canadian news publication described it, “Knight Craft is well known among Republicans, to whom she has donated piles of money.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, also of Kentucky, reportedly recommended her for the role of UN Ambassador.

McConnell is not the only member of his family greasing the wheels. This week Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who happens to be married to the Senate Majority Leader, was embroiled in scandal.

Secretary Chao “has met at least 10 times with Kentucky business leaders or politicians after email requests made by her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY),” The Daily Beast reports.

“A cache of more than 800 emails—obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the watchdog group American Oversight—shows that some of those meetings led to McConnell’s associates being granted their wishes by the powerful Transportation Secretary—from infrastructure grants to highway project funding. In at least one example, the lobbyist had donated to McConnell’s re-election campaign.”

Heather Nauert Withdraws Troubled Nomination For UN Ambassador

Heather Nauert Withdraws Troubled Nomination For UN Ambassador

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

President Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to become the next UN Ambassador Saturday evening officially withdrew her nomination after two months of rumors surrounding her hiring of a nanny not authorized to work in the United States, Bloomberg News reports.

Heather Nauert, who has served as spokesperson for the United States Department of State since April of 2017, also served for a good portion of 2018 as the Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Many had questioned her appointment to that position, given her thin resume.

“I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary Pompeo for the trust they placed in me for considering me for the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Nauert, a former Fox & Friends co-host, said in the statement. “However, the past two months have been grueling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration.”

Nauert had previously hired a nanny who, although in the country legally, is believed to have been not authorized to work in the U.S., Bloomberg notes, calling the situation “politically untenable.”

No doubt Nauert’s Senate confirmation process would have been highly confrontational. In addition to the illegal hiring, Nauert made controversial decisions as State Dept. spokesperson.

During her tenure at “Foggy Bottom,” as the State Dept. is often called, Nauert has attacked the press, lied about the U.S. voting against a death penalty resolution protecting LGBT people, and was apparently unaware that North Korea “has the bomb.”