The mainstream media is at it again, working to spin a story aimed at weakening President Trump with nothing more than “whispers” and “unnamed sources.” This time, instead of citing the Mueller fiasco, CNN and the rest are suggesting a Pence/Haley ticket may be in the works for 2020.
Last week, Secretary to the United Nations Nikki Haley found herself in an apparent conflict with President Trump when she announced a new round of sanctions against Russia. That was followed by new White House appointee Larry Kudlow telling reporters that Haley was victim to “momentary confusion.” Haley wasted no time in firing back on Fox news saying, “I don’t get confused.”
After that, Kudlow called Ms. Haley to apologize. “She was certainly not confused,” Mr. Kudlow told The New York Times by telephone. “I was wrong to say that — totally wrong.”
Though the Times and others offered no named sources and admitted the likelihood of such a ticket, the headlines offer an example of how the media works to sway the public.
In one article, The New York Times concluded that Haley might decide to be Mike Pence’s running mate in the presidential election of 2020. According to the Times, “Republicans close to the White House whisper about the prospect of an alliance between Ms. Haley and Vice President Mike Pence.”
In a follow-up article, The Times softened its story about Pence and Haley but then built on the narrative that Trump is paranoid by reporting: “Trump has been alarmed by the rising diplomatic star of the former South Carolina governor and even grown suspicious of Haley’s political ambitions.”
Within hours of the New York Times first article The Business Times, MSNBC, and CNN were reporting with virtually the same headlines and quotes that Pence and Haley were considering running in 2020.
The issue itself turned out to be some missed communication between the White House and Haley. President Trump had planned on new sanctions, just as Nikki Haley promised. He changed his mind on Sunday and decided to hold off on more sanctions but White House aides failed to relay that information.
Washington Examiner’s Philip Wegmann was the first national paper that shot down the New York Times’ ploy for sensationalism. He wrote:
Without a second Watergate, Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley are not going to challenge President Trump, let alone defeat him in a primary. Hopes of a Pence-Haley ticket, or hopes of a Haley-Pence ticket for that matter, are fever dreams fueled by too much wishful, cable television thinking.
John Negroponte, a former ambassador to the United Nations, said that coordinating messaging was vital to our government of diplomacy and he hoped such a breakdown would not occur again. At the same time, he said that he is certain Haley “has absolutely no interest in undercutting, contradicting or getting out in front of the White House.”
When asked by a reporter at the UN Wednesday about her relationship with Trump, Haley said, “It’s perfect.”
One of the reasons President Trump chose Nikki Haley is her toughness. Before she agreed to accept the nomination, she listed some conditions during a conversation with Trump. Among them, she said, “I don’t want to be a wallflower or a talking head. I want to be able to speak my mind.” Trump replied, “That is why I asked you to do this.”
Since that conversation, Nikki Haley has been true to her word — taking tough positions on everything from racism in the US to policy regarding Syria, Iran, and Russia, sometimes walking a fine line between her position and the White House.
Aides for both Haley and Pence were quick to discredit the New York Times story and to point out Trump’s support of both.
The truth is that there is no indication Trump has soured on Haley. As of last summer, she told CNN that the President had “never once” called to say she had overstepped.
“I don’t go rogue on the President,” said Haley. “I’m a strong voice by nature. He’s aware of what I’m doing and he’s very supportive.”
Trump’s allies have speculated if he might not be weary of the constant assault from the left and the press and be a one-term president. That should have been put to rest when President Trump signed the official papers making him a candidate in 2020.
~ American Liberty Report
