President Donald Trump says U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will be "leaving" his administration "at the end of the year."
Trump and Haley confirmed Tuesday in the Oval Office that the president had accepted her resignation. Trump calls Haley a "very special" person "who gets it," adding that she told him six months ago that she might want to take some time off. Trump says that together they "solved a lot of problems."
Trump announced, "At the end of the year Nikki will be leaving."
Trump, meeting with Haley in the Oval Office, informed reporters Tuesday Haley had told him about six months ago that she wanted a break. The president said Haley has been very special to him, they hate to lose her, and the two will be in constant touch.
Haley, for her part, said the post had been an honor of a lifetime. Haley said the U.S. is strong again in a way the nation should be proud of. Haley also said nothing is set in terms of where she will land next.Â
Haley's replacement is unclear. Trump said a number of people would like to do Haley's job, and claimed it's a more glamorous position than it was a couple years ago.Â
Haley is 46 years old and says she has no immediate plans. She denies she is running for president in 2020.
Haley is the former governor of South Carolina. Haley and Trump tangled before he won the 2016 presidential race.
Haley was appointed to the U.N. post in November 2016.Â
Haley also announced that she would not run for president in 2020, instead supporting President Trump in his re-election campaign.
Nikki Haley: "It has been an honor of a lifetime, I said I'm such a lucky girl to have been able to leave the state that raised me, and to serve a country I love so very much." https://t.co/TAHvXR3Jan pic.twitter.com/qXZw85QswN
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 9, 2018
HAPPENING NOW: Pres. Trump speaks with Nikki Haley from the White House, after she abruptly resigned as ambassador to the United Nations this morning. https://t.co/uvVGn9Aag6 pic.twitter.com/Y7Aolrk58u
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 9, 2018
BREAKING: Nikki Haley has resigned as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, CBS News has confirmed. She is meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office at 10:30 ET. https://t.co/pUVuCNoaKz pic.twitter.com/bndwIVjatT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 9, 2018
Big announcement with my friend Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Oval Office at 10:30am.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2018
Heartfelt thanks to Ambassador @NikkiHaley for her extraordinary service as the US Ambassador to the @UN. My full statement below: pic.twitter.com/Lo7lIYd1Ri
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) October 9, 2018
(The Associated Press, CBS News contributed to this report.)
