U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley has resigned, according to multiple reports. President Donald Trump has reportedly accepted her resignation.
She told her staff Tuesday morning of her planned resignation.
Update 11: 04 a.m. EDT Oct. 9: Trump, during the photo opportunity, that maybe Haley could be back in some other role after a break, but that she won't be fully out of contact with the White House since she knows all of the international players when it comes to working with the United Nations. He attributed to the progress the country has made with North Korea partially to Haley's role as Ambassador.
Haley has cited what has happened over the past two years saying that the United States is respected by other nations, admitting that the countries may not like what has happened, but they respect the changes. Some of those changes include North Korea sanctions and having NATO to pay more, NBC News reported.
She also praised the work that Trump son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, calling him a “hidden genius.”
Trump said he will name a successor in the coming weeks and that he has the names of a few people who would like to fill the job.
Update: 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 9: The Associated Press reported that she will leave the administration by the end of the year.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Haley told the president six months ago that she could leave by the end of 2018.
But she has said, during the meeting with President Trump, that she is not running for the office of president in 2020 and that she will campaign for Trump in his re-election bid.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has reacted to the news that Haley is stepping down, calling her a "clear, consistent and powerful voice for America's interests and democratic principles on the world stage," NBC reported.
Original report: CNN reported that Haley gave her resignation directly to the president. Axios broke the news Tuesday morning.
The White House has announced that President Trump will appear with Haley in the Oval Office at 10:30 a.m., CNN reported.
The president also took to Twitter shortly after the news broke saying there will be a “big announcement” with Haley.
When she accepted Trump's nomination as ambassador, she told the president she wanted to be a cabinet member and a member of the National Security Council with similar positions that her predecessors had. She also wanted to speak her mind, CNN reported.
"I said 'I am a policy girl. I want to be part of the decision-making process," Haley told CNN during an interview in 2017. Trump agreed and she told him that, "I don't want to be a wallflower or a talking head. I want to be able to speak my mind." She says that's why Trump asked her to fill the position.
According to CNN, Prior to serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Haley was the first woman and "first person of an ethnic minority" to be governor of South Carolina. She was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to Ajit Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, Indian immigrants who owned a foreign good store that became a multimillion-dollar clothing and gift company. Haley was also the second Indian-American governor in the U.S., CNN reported.
In 2004 she was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives for the 87th District. She also was the majority whip in the South Carolina General Assembly. In 2010 she was elected governor of South Carolina gaining the support of the Tea Party movement. She was re-elected in 2014. Her nomination as ambassador was announced by the president in Nov. 2016 and was sworn in on Jan. 25, 2017 the day after resigning as governor of South Carolina, CNN reported.
Check back for the latest on this developing story.
