Speed Reads

white house drama

Nikki Haley fires back at the White House over Russia sanctions

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley stands by her announcement on Sunday that the Trump administration planned on imposing new sanctions on Russia.

"With all due respect, I don't get confused," she said in a statement read by Fox News' Dana Perino on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, told reporters that Haley "got ahead of the curve" by mentioning sanctions and insisted her "momentary confusion" had nothing to do with miscommunication inside the White House.

Kudlow told The New York Times on Tuesday evening that after Haley's statement was read, he called the ambassador and apologized. "She was certainly not confused," he said. "I was wrong to say that — totally wrong. As it turns out, she was basically following what she thought was policy. The policy was changed and she wasn't told about it, so she was in a box."