U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, is the latest political figure to come under scrutiny after the publication of Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury.”
After Wolff appeared on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” rumors began to circulate that Haley was having an affair with the president.
The author stated that he was “absolutely sure” that President Donald Trump was having an affair, even though the accusations weren’t specifically printed in his book, according to Politco, and readers will be able to determine who is suspected on a close reading of the book.
“Now that I’ve told you, when you hit that paragraph, you’re gonna say, ‘Bingo,’” Wolff reportedly said.
From there it seems, readers honed in on the line, “The president had been spending a notable amount of private time with Haley on Air Force One and was seen to be grooming her for a national political future,” reported Politco.
The ambassador said that the claims are completely false, “highly offensive” and “disgusting,” while also noting that the attacks are similar to smears that other women have faced when coming into power.
“It is absolutely not true,” said Haley during an appearance on Politico’s Women Rule podcast.
Responding to Wolff’s assertion that she had spent significant time on Air Force One with the president, Haley said: “I have literally been on Air Force One once and there were several people in the room when I was there.”
“He says that I’ve been talking a lot with the president in the Oval about my political future. I’ve never talked once to the president about my future and I am never alone with him.”
“So the idea that these things come out, that’s a problem,” she told Politico.
“But it goes to a bigger issue that we need to always be conscious of. At every point in my life, I’ve noticed that if you speak your mind and you’re strong about it and you say what you believe, there is a small percentage of people that resent that and the way they deal with it is to try and throw arrows, lies or not.”
“Fire and Fury” has been heavily criticized for several noted inaccuracies, as previously noted by CNBC.
Wolff reportedly did not respond to Politico’s request for comment.
Haley meanwhile, asserts that strong women who speak their mind are always at risk for an attack.
“I saw this as a legislator. I saw this when I was governor. I see it now. I see them do it to other women,” she said. “And the thing is, when women work, they prioritize, they focus, and they believe if you’re gonna do something, do it right.”
According to Politico, Haley was followed by rumors of an extramarital affair during her time in South Carolina state politics.
“Others see that as either too ambitious or stepping out of line. And the truth is, we need to continue to do our job and if that means they consider it stepping out of line, fine. And if that means they’re gonna throw stones, people see lies for what it is. Do I like it? No. Is it right? No. Is it gonna slow me down? Not at all,” Haley told Politco. “Every time this has happened, it only makes me fight harder. And I do it for the sake of other women that are behind me because they should never think that they have to put their head down and cower out of fear that somebody’s gonna do something to you.” (For more from the author of “Nikki Haley: ‘Disgusting’ Claims of Affair with Trump ‘Absolutely Not True’” HERE)
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