President Trump on Monday joked that U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley can “easily be replaced.” He made the remark during lunch with ambassadors of countries on the U.N. Security Council.
“Now does everybody like Nikki? ‘Cause if you don’t… otherwise she could easily be replaced,” Trump said to awkward laughter, with Haley in the room.
He continued: “We won’t do that. I promise we won’t do that. She’s doing a fantastic job.”
The president legitimately appeared to be joking this time, but Haley and Trump have an interesting history.
Haley campaigned for Marco Rubio and then supported Ted Cruz during the Republican primary race. When Haley gave the Republican response to President Obama’s final State of the Union address, she seemed to criticize Trump, saying, “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices.”
Last year, she said she would vote for Trump even though the 2016 election had “turned my stomach upside-down.”
When asked about voting for Trump over Hillary Clinton, Haley was quoted as saying: “This is no longer a choice for me on personalities because I’m not a fan of either one.”
Trump responded by calling her “weak” on immigration, but went on to add her to his cabinet when he upset Clinton on Election Day. Haley’s parents are Indian immigrants, so many pundits assumed Trump selected her in an attempt to add diversity to his team.
Check out the video above.