President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Oct. 9, 2018. (AP/Evan Vucci)
White House slams Israel’s former UN ambassador for suggesting Nikki Haley could replace Mike Pence as vice president.
By Paul Shindman, World Israel News
Former UN Ambassador Danny Danon managed to anger White House officials when he suggested during a television interview that President Donald Trump might dump Vice President Mike Pence in favor of Nikki Haley, Israel Hayom reported Wednesday.
Danon made the comments Monday morning in an interview with Yuval Karni of the Knesset Channel.
“There are rumors that former ambassador Nikki Haley may take on the role of Vice President Pence,” Danon said. “I know it’s being considered, but I don’t know if it’s something that will happen,” he said.
Senior White House officials expressed astonishment that the former Israeli ambassador was speaking out about an internal American issue with which he isn’t involved, based solely on “rumors,” the report said.
A senior government official close to Vice President Pence and Israel responded with bewilderment to the former ambassador’s remarks.
“As if someone needed a reminder of how ignorant this man Danon is of what is happening and how far he is from the circle of decision-makers today, as he was throughout his tenure at the UN,” the unnamed official said.
While Danon was correct that there had been talk for some time in Republican circles about the possibility of replacing Pence with Haley as a counter to Democratic choice of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s running mate, the issue is not being seriously considered in the crucial campaign for the November presidential election.
Danon was replaced as ambassador last month by Netanyahu ally and former cabinet minister Gilad Erdan, who will also take on the role of ambassador to the United States.
In an interview with the Associated Press last month shortly after returning to Israel, Danon said Israel would not suffer for having tight ties to the Trump administration and the U.S.-Israel relationship would prosper with either Trump or Joe Biden in the White House.
“We have bipartisan support and we value and we cherish it,” Danon said.
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