First, there were the recent apparent chemical attacks that were perpetrated by the Assad regime in Syria on his own people, according to the United States. The trump administration believed that the attack was done with the full knowledge and cooperation of the Russians. The United States, Britain, and France responded with a strategic attack on three targets allegedly linked to chemical weapons inside Syria. As a follow-up, the Trump administration dispatched Nikki Haley to the weekend news shows to assert that further sanctions will be forthcoming against the Russians.
Then it went downhill from there.
In statement to CNN, US Ambassador to the UN @nikkihaley says: “With all due respect, I don’t get confused.” https://t.co/fm8Las0pZX
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 17, 2018
Nikki Haley thrown under the bus
The only problem with the Nikki Haley appearances, after the Syria attack, is that she was obviously given tough talking points that either got changed without keeping her in the loop or were false from the start. This is no surprise in the administration, where confusion reigns supreme, and even the president has no idea what he is doing most of the time.
So, the administration, as it often does, threw the United Nations Ambassador under the bus, stating that she must have been confused about any new Russian sanctions.
Nikki Haley is a sharp, intelligent person, and it is highly doubtful that she "missed the memo," not to say anything about new sanctions. In fact, she shot back at her own administration stating to Fox News host Dana Perino that “With all due respect, I don’t get confused.”
Reaction on Twitter was swift
With yet another bungling of key foreign policy messaging, it is no surprise that Twitter lit up with reactions from news outlets and individuals alike.
The new mantra of the day is “I don’t get confused.” Speculation is also now running rampant that Nikki Haley will be the next high-level member to depart from the Trump Administration.
Is this the prelude to a divorce? @NikkiHaley says "with all due respect I don't get confused" after White House suggests she was confused when she said they were about to impose sanctions on Russia. Was there a plan or not? Sources say yes, but @realDonaldTrump balked
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) April 17, 2018
Most people on Twitter are encouraging her to leave and keep her reputation intact.
Reportedly, Larry Kudlow, who made the confused assertion on behalf of the administration, has apologized to Nikki, but the damage is already done, and it is clear that if there ever was an affair between Trump and Haley, it’s all over now.
If Nikki Haley were to quit right now she’d be the first Trump official to leave with reputation in tact (whatever you thought of it before), or even go up a notch. But alas, she won’t, and will find herself on a dirt pile eventually w/ Tillerson & the rest.
— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) April 18, 2018
The administration is also being accused of giving back-door assurances to the Russians that there will be no more new sanctions. It's another bungled mess by the Trump administration, and I guess it’s just another Russian reset day at the White House.
Maybe, they need to get a big reset button permanently installed in the Oval Office.
The Russian government was given a backdoor assurance on Sunday that no more sanctions were coming and to just ignore Nikki Haley. pic.twitter.com/bC8JeSbehg
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) April 18, 2018