Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley spent much of this week attempting to ameliorate the damage done by a lengthy tome published last Friday by former Politico writer Tim Alberta.
Alberta’s expansive piece – which contained all-over-the-map quotes from several months-old interviews with Haley – portrayed the presumed 2024 presidential contender as a habitual vacillator seeking to simultaneously embrace and reject her association with Donald Trump.
Trying to have it both ways, in other words …
Haley countered – adeptly – that she wasn’t being opportunistic but rather using common sense in praising Trump for the things he did well and criticizing him for the things he did poorly.
Which … makes sense.
Of course while Haley is conflicted – or to hear her tell it, “selective” – in assessing Trump, it appears as though the 45th president is not at all confused about his views on Haley.
According to Politico, Haley “reached out” to Trump “to request a sit-down” with him at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida on Wednesday.
The tête-à-tête was a no-go from the get-go, though …
Trump “turned her down,” a source told the news outlet – adding that the former president hasn’t spoken to Haley since her remarks assailing him for his alleged role in the inciting of a bloody riot at the U.S. capitol on January 6, 2021.
As the Politico article made clear, Haley had anticipated (hoped?) Trump would not be a factor in the 2024 Republican presidential election – however his acquittal earlier this month by the U.S. Senate means he is eligible to seek the presidency again should he choose to do so.
More importantly, a majority of Republican voters still overwhelmingly support Trump – something Haley is currently learning the hard way.
Can she recover from the fallout? Yes …
Haley continues to be backed by to the hilt by our nation’s warmongering neoconservatives and the deep-pocketed pro-Israeli lobby – two institutional forces which will keep her credible despite these recent unforced errors.
Also, she obviously still has the whole “identity politics” thing going for her … although the establishment media seems to be every bit as aware of her vapidity as the MAGA disciples.
Haley hasn’t shown it in recent weeks, but she has become an incredibly skilled politician – and those looking to count her out do so at their own peril.
However, as Folks noted in a column earlier this week Haley must identify a “north star” beyond her own aspiration for political advancement – and apply her skills in pursuit of that larger objective.
“The present trajectory of her national ascendancy seems to define the ceiling for political careers guided solely by a desire for upward mobility,” he wrote. “Eventually, there has to be something else fueling the rise.”
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