U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is resigning, she and President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, blindsiding many administration officials and stirring speculation in the White House and beyond about the timing and reasons for the latest Trump shake-up just weeks before the November midterm elections.
The news was just that, news, to many congressional Republicans involved in foreign policy matters, and some key US allies did not get advance word from Haley or the White House. Neither she nor Trump gave any specific reason.
‘‘I have given everything I’ve got these last eight years,’’ she said, referring to her six years as South Carolina governor as well as her time at the UN ‘‘And I do think it’s good to rotate in other people who can put that same energy and power into it.’’
There has been speculation that Haley, one of the highest-profile women in the administration, will return to government or politics at some point.
‘‘No, I’m not running in 2020’’ for president, she joked, quickly adding that she would be supporting Trump.
The decision to announce the latest shake-up came less than a month before the elections, even as the White House has made a concerted effort to hold off on major changes, at the Justice Department and elsewhere, before then. Trump was asked why the announcement was made now since Haley is staying until the end of the year. Instead of answering directly, he recounted how she has had to work on tough issues, such as Iran and North Korea.
