Nikki Haley said she told Trump that she wants to be part of the decision-making process while accepting her current position.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley revealed that she was offered to work as Trump’s secretary of state but declined the offer, in an interview with CNN.
“I’m very aware of when things are right and when they are not,†she said. “I just thought he could find someone better.â€
During her first meeting with Trump since he became the president, Haley flew to New York to meet him. During their meeting, Trump asked her if she would consider taking the position. After she refused, Trump again called after few days for a meeting and asked her whether she would consider being the US ambassador to the UN.
Haley told the network she accepted the offer but with the condition that she would be a member of the Cabinet and the National Security Council. Both of which were accepted.
“I said ‘I am a policy girl, I want to be part of the decision-making process,’†she said. “He said, ‘done.’ And I said, ‘I don’t want to be a wallflower or a talking head. I want to be able to speak my mind.’ He said, ‘That is why I asked you to do this.’ In all honesty, I didn’t think they were going to take me up on everything I asked for. And they gave me all that. So how do you turn that down?â€
Before joining Trump administration, Haley served as the first Indian American woman to be elected governor of South Carolina. She also has the distinction of being the first Indian American member of Trump’s cabinet. She was one of the first Trump nominees to be confirmed by the Senate and was sworn in on January 25.
Though her experience on global affairs is thin, she has made her presence felt in the United Nations.