Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Haley’s Comet Triggers Soothsayers
President Trump an UN Ambassador Nikki Haley at the UN in September, 2018 / shutterstock.com
President Trump and Ambassador Haley had a joint press availability in the White House, which triggered rampant, fact-free speculation in conservative media space. We were even treated to self-appointed guardians of TruMAGA recycling the old innuendos about President Trump being subverted by falsely converted NeverTrumpers, his daughter, and his son-in-law. The truth is so much simpler, but relies on experience unfamiliar to most of the nattering class. It’s about the Benjamins and real leadership; in the end, the sun will come out tomorrow.
The Haleys have no family fortune, except in the blessings of family. It appears she has always been the primary breadwinner. Michael Haley met Nikki in college in 1989. Today, 29 years later, he is a captain in the South Carolina Army National Guard. Michael Haley only joined the National Guard in 2006.
He was actually getting a civilian job as part of his military status. He joined the military technician program, which provides full-time administrative and technical support to Guard and Reserve units. You must be a military member in good standing in a drilling unit, else you lose your civilian job. Miltechs start at GS-7 and top out at GS-14. He most certainly did not reach or surpass GS-11, so he was earning, pre-tax, between $36,000 and $57,000 per year. Most of his years would be at the lower end of that range.
Between twelve weekends ($811.12*12) and about one month of active duty training ($6083.40), he likely had pre-tax National Guard earnings of around $15,000. It is unlikely, however busy and well-funded his assignment, that he is getting more than 3 months of active duty pay. So, cap him out around $28,000.
Likely the best year the Haley family have had financially was when Captain Haley deployed to Afghanistan, getting full time O-3 pay (tax free because of the danger), plus non-taxed housing and DoD paid healthcare. Think on that. This is fairly representative of our Guard and Reserve forces.
Reportedly, Michael Haley left the military technician program in 2015. He is still a drilling Guardsman, with a significant staff position for his rank. So, the Haleys are not a wealthy power couple. They are truly middle class, have one child in college, and are looking at their second child entering college soon. They need to put some money in the bank.
Burn out is a real thing, and likely to occur after 8 years straight in high pressure leadership positions. I know a bit about this, having commanded in high pressure military situations from battery (company) to group (brigade) level, from captain to colonel. As a battalion and brigade level commander in the Army Reserve, I had to hold some good people in subordinate commands past their tenure, for lack of suitable, willing replacements. I, myself, had one command for an extraordinarily long time. Good people become crispy critters after too long in the barrel. If you have not done it yourself, maybe ease off on the “quitter should have stayed four years.”
AMBASSADOR HALEY: […] Now, I don’t have anything set on where I’m going to go. I think that the main thing was — I was Governor for six years, and we dealt with the Hurricane, a thousand-year flood, a church shooting, a school shooting. There was a lot. And then, to come in and do two years of Russia and Iran and North Korea — it’s been eight years of intense time, and I’m a believer in term limits.
I think you have to be selfless enough to know when you step aside and allow someone else to do the job. So, thank you, Mr. President —
[…]
AMBASSADOR HALEY: My family is very supportive. So, no, there’s no personal reasons. I think that it’s just very important for government officials to understand when it’s time to step aside. And I have given everything I’ve got these last eight years. And I do think that sometimes it’s good to rotate in other people who can put that same energy and power into it.
So there really is — a lot of people are going to want to say there’s a lot of reasons why I’m leaving. The truth is I want to make sure that this administration, the President, has the strongest person to fight. It was a blessing to go into the U.N. with body armor every day and defend America. And I’ll always do that; I’ll never truly step aside from fighting for our country. But I will tell you that I think it’s time.
To quote a great (fictional) American: “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I am encouraged that this woman knows her limitations and how to put the public interest ahead of ambition and ego.
Take a deep breath. Get the beverage of your choice. Maybe fire up a good cigar. Now, watch, really watch, the President and his Ambassador together. Then read the official transcript.
The President says she is welcome back and can have any job she wants in his administration. He declares that this formal setting is the appropriate way to send off a senior official who has “done a great job.” The setting is that accorded honored guests, with whom the President will be photographed. No other official has received this kind of honor.
THE PRESIDENT: […]I can speak for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — he thinks the world of Nikki. And so we’re all — we’re all happy for you, in one way, but we hate to — you’ll — hopefully, you’ll be coming back at some point.
AMBASSADOR HALEY: (Laughs.)
THE PRESIDENT: But you want to just — in maybe a different capacity. You can have your pick.
[…]
So, I just want to thank Nikki. And I thought this would be an appropriate way of doing it. Because when you write it out on a piece of paper that, you know, “Ambassador Haley will be leaving,” and you say nice things, people say, “Well, what’s going on?” This is the right way to do it. And when you really think somebody’s done a terrific job, I felt this was an appropriate way of doing it, and we both liked it.
[…]
So, I just want to finish because this is really — the pure reason for this is — Nikki, you’ve been fantastic. You’re my friend. And I just — on behalf of the country, I want to thank you for a great job. Thank you, Nikki.
Ambassador Haley is Team Trump.
AMBASSADOR HALEY: — it’s been an honor of a lifetime. And I will say this: For all of you that are going to ask about 2020; no, I’m not running for 2020. I can promise you what I’ll be doing is campaigning for this one. So, I look forward to supporting the President in the next election.
Look for Nikki Haley to return as Secretary of State in President Trump’s second term. Running for the Senate makes little sense, as she has already been a successful governor, and will not want to tie herself down for six years. Governor/Ambassador/Secretary Haley will have much less problem with white women voters than Hillary, at least as Her Pantsuitness tells it:
“[…] White women have been voting against Democratic presidential candidates for decades now. The White vote has only then won twice in the last 60 years. My husband being one of the two. Lyndon Johnson being the other. So, it’s not a surprise. It’s a disappointment but it’s not a surprise.”
Haley 2024 — #ImWithHer.
Published in Politics
Class act.
Why in the world would anyone want to leave a job that mandates dealing with major league despots, and minor league despots on a regular basis? Dealing with the puffed up pomposity of diplomats representing nations that couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag, and I imagine they didn’t waste too much time contacting Ms. Haley with the latest outrage on a 24 hour basis. The greatest diplomatic coup of the Trump administration was locating the US Embassy in Jerusalem, its’ greatest failure has been not relocating the UN to Geneva, Switzerland. What’s not to like about being the US Ambassador to the UN?
Mark Davis, DFW morning talker and Salem relief pitcher, says “President Trump makes everyone better, even the UN!”
Yes. Both the post, and the way Haley’s resignation was handled.
I particularly enjoyed watching the media being totally flummoxed with the “shock” and the “abruptness” of it all, when clearly it’s been in the works for some time (cross anyone who knew anything about this one off the list of suspected “leakers,”) The thought that Trump, Haley, and anyone else in the know, managed to keep this a secret until they announced it at a time of their choosing had the news liars hopping mad. Somehow, this extremely organized and well-orchestrated bit of mannerly leaving, succession overlap, and general good humor, had to be shown as just another example of chaos, internecine warfare, and latent nepotism in the White House, and as usual, the networks did not disappoint.
But she has a wonderful apartment with great drapes!
Your observations make perfect sense! I hope she makes bundles of money somewhere so that the financial pressures will be lessened; that kind of stress can be tough. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, I wish her well. And hope to see her in 2024. Go Nikki!
My favorite leftist take on the resignation was she did it to protest the Kavanaugh Senate vote . . .
Say what?
You see, there has to be a conspiracy. There just hasta be! Especially if you are someone who loathes Trump and whose loathing increases with every Trump success.
Thank for another informative post. I have long been a great admirer of Nikki Haley; she’s the kind of politician the Founding Fathers had in mind — citizen-politicians. She has a life that extends beyond the next election. Would that we had more like her!
Oh yes! It’s said under the guise of, “It is speculated Haley resigned as a protest against the appoinment of Brett Kavanaugh . . .”
Another headline was “Trump Personnel Shakeup”. This wasn’t a shakeup. Haley planned to go after two years. The press wants to portray the Trump administration as being in chaos all the time. Heck, I bet the press knew she would go after two years all along, but they didn’t print the “rumor” because the news has more impact coming off as a surprise, thus fitting the “chaos” narrative.
The reality is, people come and go in any administration . . .
I hope she does run at some point. My wife, who is conservative but not really interested in politics, commented to me while watching her being interviewed the other day that she would knock on doors for her if she ever ran for President. If she engenders that kind of response from someone who really doesn’t have politics on their radar then she’s pretty special as a potential candidate. I’d vote for her in a heartbeat (having had her as a Governor does make me a little biased).
I agree. I also love Nikki Haley.
I think she’s off to write a book or 2, build a bankroll for 2024. Keep the options open for 2021, in case Trump gets re-elected.
Mr. Brown, I think your assessment is spot on. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar–the story is exactly as told without subtext or subterfuge. Also, I suspect, after being at the UN for two years, she needs a good, long shower.
Or a long soak in a big tub. Filling her shoes at the UN will be a real challenge.
This is what normal non-career-politician people do. It’s fresh, it’s unexpected, it’s all-American, and if the media would give their bias a rest, it’s outright storybook. I think we are giving our future first female president a well-deserved break.
She was our representative in the General Assembly before she was governor and that was no easy job either because she went up against the good ole boys.
They attack her on her way out because they know she is a force who will return at some point.
Another great post. Thanks Clifford.
If she does reeneter politics at the national level, my guess is it will be after her youngest graduates from high school.
I hope she re-enters public life in a few years. She I a remarkable woman and our country needs people like her.