Ambassador Nikki Haley Resigns

USA Today & COLlive

President Donald Trump accepted the resignation of UN Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday, an unexpected departure for one of the president’s longest-serving top aides.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor who was confirmed just days after Trump’s inauguration, announced her decision during a hastily scheduled meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. She said she planned to leave by the end of the year.

“She’s done a fantastic job and we’ve done a fantastic job together,” Trump said.

Initially a critic of Trump, Haley helped shepherd in the administration’s tougher stance at the United Nations, including Trump’s decision to leave the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year. She is also among the most prominent women in Trump’s cabinet.

Haley, widely considered a possible candidate for higher office, also sometimes broke ranks with Trump. In the days leading up to this year’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, Haley indicated Trump’s speech before the Security Council would be focused on Iran. White House officials later dismissed that idea, saying the address would focus on controlling weapons of mass destruction.

Haley has been an outstanding defender of Israel, boldly taking on the anti-Israeli and antisemitic voices often heard in the halls of the UN. She has argued for Israel’s right to defend itself against Islamic terror.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “I would like to thank Ambassador Nikki Haley, who led the uncompromising struggle against hypocrisy at the UN, and on behalf of the truth and justice of our country. Best of luck!”

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon who has worked closely with Haley, said: “Thank you for representing the values common to #Israel and the United States. Thank you for your support, which led to a change in Israel’s status in the UN. Thank you for your close friendship. You will always be a true friend to the State of Israel.”