Nikki Haley Responds to Criticism of How She Handled 'Subversion' of Trump from Cabinet Members
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley fired right back at Sebastian Gorka after the former White House aide accused her of not informing President Donald Trump about “subversion” within his administration’s ranks.
In her new memoir “With All Due Respect,” scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Haley wrote that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly tried to recruit her in their efforts to curb decisions by Trump they felt were unwise.
“Kelly and Tillerson confided in me that when they resisted the president, they weren’t being insubordinate, they were trying to save the country,” Haley recounted in her book, according to The Washington Post.
“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,” she added.
Gorka tweeted in response to Haley’s revelation, “And why didn’t @NikkiHaley tell the President about Tillerson and Kelly’s subversion?”
The former South Carolina governor shot right back, “I did. Thank you for your interest.”
I did. Thank you for your interest.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 11, 2019
Kelly’s departure from the White House was announced two months after Haley said she was stepping down in October 2018, while Trump removed Tillerson in March of that same year.
Haley also discussed the two men’s conduct on “CBS Sunday Morning” over the weekend, calling their efforts “offensive.”
“Instead of saying that to me, they should have been saying that to the president, not asking me to join them on their sidebar plan,” Haley said.
“It should have been, go tell the president what your differences are and quit if you don’t like what he’s doing.”
“But to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing, and it goes against the Constitution, and it goes against what the American people want,” she added. “It was offensive.”
In a statement to The Post on Monday, Tillerson denied he ever sought to undermine the president.
“During my service to our country as the Secretary of State, at no time did I, nor to my direct knowledge did anyone else serving along with me, take any actions to undermine the President,” Tillerson said.
“My conversations with the President in the privacy of the Oval Office were always candid, frank, and my recommendations straightforward. Once the President made a decision, we at the State Department undertook our best efforts to implement that decision,” he added.
“Ambassador Haley was rarely a participant in my many meetings and is not in a position to know what I may or may not have said to the President.”
Kelly made a similar denial to Tillerson in a statement to CBS.
“If by resistance and stalling she means putting a staff process in place…to ensure the [president] knew all the pros and cons of what policy decision he might be contemplating so he could make an informed decision, then guilty as charged,” Kelly said.
Haley, an outspoken critic of Trump during the 2016 election cycle, was one of his most loyal Cabinet members after joining the administration.
Asked if she thought the president would be impeached and removed from office, Haley responded, “No, on what?”
“You’re going to impeach a president for asking for a favor that didn’t happen and — and giving money and it wasn’t withheld?” Haley told CBS News host Norah O’Donnell. “I don’t know what you would impeach him on. And look, Norah, impeachment is, like, the death penalty for a public official.”
.@norahodonnell: “Do you think ultimately [POTUS] will be impeached & removed from office?”
Nikki Haley: “No. On what? You’re going to impeach a president for asking for a favor that didn’t happen & giving money & it wasn’t withheld? I don’t know what you would impeach him on.” pic.twitter.com/GtSwBokVkU— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 9, 2019
“When you look at the transcript, there’s nothing in it that transcript that warrants the death penalty for the president,” she added.
Haley further pointed out that the Ukrainians did not open an investigation into the Bidens and Trump released the military aid funds, so there was no quid pro quo.
“There’s just nothing impeachable there,” she said.
In August, the 47-year-old dismissed speculation that she might be vice president on the 2020 ticket.
Enough of the false rumors. Vice President Pence has been a dear friend of mine for years. He has been a loyal and trustworthy VP to the President. He has my complete support. ❤️?? pic.twitter.com/waPyQjC8Eb
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) August 21, 2019
Haley is seen as a top Republican presidential contender in 2024.
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