NIKKI HALEY/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Public humiliation is a rite of passage for many top officials in the Trump administration. But when it was Nikki Haley’s turn this week, she fought back, defending herself in a way that reflects her unique status in the Trump administration. The US ambassador to the United Nations spent much of Tuesday [4-17-18] feeling both embarrassed that she had caused controversy by getting ahead of the White House in announcing Russia sanctions and irked by seemingly dismissive and condescending remarks from a fellow administration official, according to two sources close to Haley. Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump’s newly installed chief economic adviser, said ‘there might have been some momentary confusion’ on her part. Haley found the remark disrespectful and felt she couldn’t keep quiet, the sources said. ‘With all due respect, I don’t get confused,’ Haley said in a statement. It was a stunning retort in an administration where the typical response to being put down is to slink away quietly and regroup…For now at least, she is showing off her savvy in navigating the administration’s ever shifting dynamics. She appears to have emerged from the combative approach unscathed — a rare feat in Trump’s orbit.”
-Jeremy Diamond, “Haley’s retort shows why she’s unique in Trump’s White House,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 19, 2018 1:06 pm