Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley made waves in Washington for her account of the White House this weekend–but some conservatives have questions.
“Kelly and Tillerson confided in me that when they resisted the president, they weren’t being insubordinate, they were trying to save the country,” she wrote in her upcoming book. “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.”
“I was so shocked I didn’t say anything going home because I just couldn’t get my arms around the fact that here you have two key people in an administration undermining the president,” she told the Washington Post in an interview about her book.
Radio host Rush Limbaugh questioned Haley’s conduct Monday, wondering if she told Trump about this alleged undermining.
“I have one question for Nikki Haley. Did you tell Trump what Kelly and Tillerson were doing, or did you save it for the book? And if you didn’t tell Trump and you only saved it for the book–what do you mean, you know about the book?” Limbaugh asked.
“She’s published a book, and in the book the big leak is that she says that the chief of staff, Marine General John Kelly, and Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, sought to recruit her to subvert Trump, but that she kept all of this to herself until now, until her book!” he added.
“She didn’t tell Trump? Obviously she didn’t tell Trump. Is anybody surprised?”
Republican operative Arthur Schwartz tweeted something similar Sunday, wondering, “When did she tell President Trump? Did she tell President Trump? If not, why didn’t she?”
When did she tell President Trump? Did she tell President Trump? If not, why didn’t she? https://t.co/ri0FHHL2pc
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) November 10, 2019
Donald Trump Jr. “liked” the tweet.
Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce responded, “Excellent question.”
Excellent question @ArthurSchwartz. https://t.co/G1VLeB2Zyk
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) November 11, 2019
Others questioned her account in general.
“I find this very suspicious given that she had no control over foreign policy and Tillerson hated Haley. Famously even writing her a letter telling her to stop making foreign policy declarations without clearing it with him,” conservative writer Ryan Girdusky tweeted.
I find this very suspicious given that she had no control over foreign policy and Tillerson hated Haley. Famously even writing her a letter telling her to stop making foreign policy declarations without clearing it with him. https://t.co/PUSfCLmC9o
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) November 10, 2019
This was showed how Tillerson and Haley truly had a terrible working relationship. Tillerson demanded Haley clear statements with him because she was going rogue and then his team leaked it to the presshttps://t.co/mvjAohGHas
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) November 10, 2019
When asked about Haley’s account, John Kelly told the Post, that if giving Trump “the best and most open, legal and ethical staffing advice from across the [government] so he could make an informed decision is ‘working against Trump,’ then guilty as charged.”
Haley’s new book, titled, “With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace,” comes out this week.
She served as UN ambassador under Trump, resigning last fall. Announcing her resignation, Trump praised her, saying that she did a “fantastic job.”
“We’ve solved a lot of problems and we’re in the process of solving a lot of problems,” he said.
Haley also said that she would not run in 2020 and would support Trump.
“I will say this for all of you that are going to ask about 2020,” she told reporters. “No, I’m not running for 2020. I can promise you is that I’ll be campaigning for this one. I look forward to supporting the president in the next election.” (RELATED: Nikki Haley Blasts Impeachment: ‘I Don’t Know What You Would Impeach Him On’)
