Nikki Haley finds herself under the bus as Trump shifts course on Russia
The Washington Post reported late Sunday that President Trump “has battled his top aides on Russia and lost.”
Less than 20 hours later, Trump has now reversed U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's announcement that the United States would be ramping up sanctions on Russia.
Hmm.
The sudden reversal of Haley's Sunday-morning announcement is hardly the only example of the right hand in the White House not always knowing what the left hand is up to. Trump often seems to be negotiating not just those around him but also with himself and has been unafraid of contradicting top aides and even Cabinet-level officials like Haley.
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But on Russia and on an issue of such import, the quick reversal is stunning — and relatively rare. There is no clear indication whether Haley or someone else is at fault, but as The Post's team notes, she has a tendency to clear her remarks with Trump personally before she makes them. It seems entirely possible that she got Trump to sign off on saying more Russia sanctions were coming on Sunday morning, and then the White House got cold feet (possibly because Trump suddenly felt the need to exert himself over the process).
A look back at Haley's remarks Sunday leaves little doubt that she appeared on CBS's “Face the Nation” with the clear purpose of announcing the sanctions. It was the second answer she provided, and she volunteered the information rather than being lured into saying something that perhaps wasn't ready for public consumption.
BRENNAN: Are there any consequences for Assad's patrons, Russia and Iran, who continue to protect him?
HALEY: Absolutely. So you will see that Russian sanctions will be coming down. Secretary [Steven] Mnuchin will be announcing those on Monday, if he hasn't already. And they will go directly to any sort of companies that were dealing with equipment related to Assad and chemical weapons used.
Those are very specific comments — not only that sanctions are coming, but that Mnuchin would announce them within 24 hours or so. It's really difficult to believe Haley was just freelancing here and didn't get the go-ahead to announce something of such significance.
It also seems entirely possible Trump wants to counteract that idea that those around him are pushing forward with a tough posture on Russia while he acts more like bystander. It's been a subplot for much of his presidency, as he has declined to criticize President Vladimir Putin and expressed a desire for better relations, even as his administration has gotten tough. I've called it a good cop-bad cop strategy, but perhaps it hasn't been a strategy at all. Perhaps Trump, who has shown little inclination for finer points of policy, simply hasn't been paying close attention and has truly been just signing off on what his State Department and Treasury Department do, believing he has no choice.
The fact that it took more than 24 hours after Haley's comments to issue a public clarification suggests that things weren't all that clear inside the White House on Sunday. Haley's office still hasn't sought to correct the record, despite it being perhaps the top story to come out of the Sunday morning news shows.
Regardless of whose fault it was, it suggests a lack of organization. And if this is Trump checking his administration's long-running drift toward a tougher Russia policy — something he hasn't previously done a whole lot to rein in — it could signal a very significant shift in posture, along with a very significant assertion of presidential prerogative.
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Apparently it's the White House staff and, Nikki Haley that are tough on Russia, not Trump. Sad.
If Ms. Haley wants to run for President in 2020, I'll register republican just so I can vote for her in the primary
LOL, the way Republicans with any sense have been vacating the party you might be able to do it simply by voting Independent.
Well, good. I don't want to compromise my soul entirely
Perhaps Putin has something on Trump.
Even his own staff don't understand what it could be.
Everyone in this administration is confused.
This isn't the first time Nikki Haley had a different message than Trump.
Absolute chaos and no one knows why.
Personally I think there may be something hiding in the shadows.
Even his close allies are wondering what it could be...
You're too clever for your own good.
Ya think there might actually be something there?? /s/
Trump admires Putin. Trump works on emotion. End of story.
Trump said the other day that anyone who supported a country that would gas its own citizens was on the wrong side of history, I guess someone who supports a country that supports a country that would gas its own citizens is OK to Trump?
Ummmm.......
Are you really expecting coherence from Trump?
Not really.
Seems more like Trump only gets vocal about opposing Russia when Putin has pulled his "gun" out of Trumps mouth holster...
After Nikki Haleys announcement Putin must have jammed it back in.
The latest to be thrown under the bus...Trump to Putin's rescue.
Nikki Haley today,
It really is pretty bad when our President actually throws our own UN Ambassador under the bus in front of the entire world.
She was so proud to be chosen by Trump to take the job. I wonder how she feels now after being made a fool and laughing stock by her own President.
Her mistake was thinking that he would not throw her under the bus to begin with. Anyone chosen by him has a short shelf life.
However, she has lasted longer than most of the top officials in this administration without being thrown under the bus.
True. But, with all the hoopla and ecstatic thrill of the "big win" by the Republicans, I don't think any of them thought at the time they would become cannon fodder and/or road kill for their wondrous God-like President. I don't think any of them thought he would ever eat his own alive. Now that they see what he really is, they are either paying the price of their stupidity and greed for the Oval office at any price, or jumping ship as fast as possible.
He's always rescuing Putin, isn't he?
This is a surprise why?
The Right has said that Trumps change of views over the past year and, a half are OK with them, I wanted to know if they still felt that way after this weekend about how Trump has change his mind on Syria and, Russia's defense of Syria.
You can be sure that he die hard Trumpers here on NT will still walk in lock step with him no matter what, while those in higher places and in better know are jumping the Trump ship at a record pace. They now know that at any point in time they could be the next ones to get the boot or be thrown under the bus.
It would be ok with me if he eliminated her job and pulled out of the U.N. entirely.
I'm sure you would be happy with that but, for those of us who know what it was like without the U.N., who have a saner idea of what it would be like in an ever shrinking world, we want the U.N. but, we want one that will work together for the whole world, not just one country.
as long as the UN exists? we will hold veto power /control over them. just leaving the UN to their own devices would be phenomenally stupid.
This we can agree on.
Are we not a part of the this blue ball we call Earth?
We can't live in isolation
I was raised that a man's word was his bond. That it wasn't the fabric of his clothes that made the man but his character.
This has been my greatest opposition to our current President. I will never compromise my values for someone so unworthy.
With that said, I am not surprised by this change in course. When someone shows you who they are believe them.
hmmm...no president ever has changed his position /s
It seems Trump's position on Russian sanctions hasn't changed. Understandably so, if he is indeed compromised. Trump said before he was elected he would remove certain sanction for Russians owning properties in the US. That hasn't happened due to the impropriety of how it looks on its face. The list of Russian oligarchs published after Trump passed CAASTA also wafts up a smell of impropriety.