Who is Nikki Haley? What is her stance on Donald Trump and why did she resign as UN ambassador?

Georgia Chambers9 October 2018

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has resigned, President Donald Trump today announced in the Oval Office.

Mr Trump praised her for doing "an incredible job" and said Ms Haley can come back to his administration, adding: "You can have your pick."

He told reporters that Ms Haley would be leaving the post at the end of the year.

Ms Haley was appointed US ambassador to the UN in November 2016, and has admitted she often clashes with Mr Trump.

Here's everything you need to know about Nikki Haley's career and her resignation:

What work has Nikki Haley done with the UN?

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley delivers her remarks
REUTERS

Before her role in the UN, Ms Haley became the first female and first minority governor of South Carolina, as well as the youngest governor in the country.

In a career-defining move, she removed the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds in response to the shooting of the African-American church in Charleston in 2015.

In 2016, Ms Haley joined the Trump administration.

During her career with the UN, she became known for promoting US foreign policy while maintaining a moderating voice when it came to negotiations.

Her accomplishments over the years include talks with North Korea about denuclearisation, improving dialogue with Russia and taking a tough stance with Iran.

Why did she resign?

Ms Haley has not confirmed why she chose to leave her role, and said the future direction of her career is uncertain.

She said "there's no personal reason" for her departure, but said it's "very important" for government officials to know when it's time to step aside and make way for a fresh face.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addresses the Security Council
EPA

In a press conference, she told reporters she was not planning to run for president in 2020.

She added: "Thank you, Mr President. It has been the honour of a lifetime."

What was Nikki Haley's relationship like with Trump?

Ms Haley's working relationship with Mr Trump has been far from steady.

She was an early critic of Mr Trump in the presidential race, choosing to back Senator Marco Rubio.

In the past, she has suggested that Mr Trump's rhetoric had the potential to cause a world war.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Oval Office of the White House after it was announced the president had accepted the Haley's resignation in Washington.
REUTERS

Nonetheless, she has been keen to promote her backing of the president.

In a recent article, she wrote: "I proudly serve in this administration, and I enthusiastically support most of its decisions and the direction it is taking the country. But I don't agree with the president on everything. When there is disagreement, there is a right way and a wrong way to address it. I pick up the phone and call him or meet with him in person."

For his part, Mr Trump appears to speak highly of Ms Haley. He said of his time working with her that she "has been very special to me, she has done an incredible job she is a fantastic person very importantly but she is also somebody that gets it".

Who will replace her?

It is unclear as to who will replace Ms Haley, but Mr Trump has assured that there's plenty of contenders, and claimed it's a more "glamorous" position than it was a few years ago.

Ms Haley's replacement is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in