U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and President Donald Trump got their lines crossed Tuesday when Haley slammed a FoxNews.com report on North Korean maneuvers as “incredibly dangerous” — but only after Trump had retweeted the story.
Haley appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss the Trump administration’s success at the United Nations Saturday when a U.S.-drafted resolution to hike sanctions on the rogue regime was approved 15-0 by the U.N. Security Council.
But Haley was asked about a story published on FoxNews.com that reported that U.S. spy agencies detected North Korea loading two anti-ship cruise missiles onto a patrol boat on its east coast — signs that threats and sanctions may not be curbing North Korean aggression.
“North Korea is not showing any evidence it plans to halt its missile tests,” one anonymous official told the outlet. “It’s a trend that does not bode well for hopes of de-escalating tensions on the [Korean] peninsula.”
President Trump had retweeted a Fox & Friends tweet early Tuesday that had promoted the story. While a retweet does not necessarily signify approval, it was a decision by Trump to promote the story, and he did not attack leaks or dispute the report:
U.S. spy satellites detect North Korea moving anti-ship cruise missiles to patrol boat https://t.co/BPFXsLffgy
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) August 8, 2017
However, when Haley was asked about the story, she slammed it as “incredibly dangerous.”
“I can’t talk about anything that’s classified, and if that’s in the newspaper, that’s a shame,” Haley said.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I will tell you it’s incredibly dangerous when things get out into the press like that,” she said. “You’re not only just getting a scoop on something; you’re playing with people’s lives, and this has got to stop.”
“Wherever the leaks are coming from, if someone thinks they’re getting power and fame from it, all you’re doing is putting Americans in danger.”
Trump has frequently hit out at leaks in the media. On Saturday, he tweeted praise of Attorney General Jeff Sessions for cracking down on leaks: “After many years of LEAKS going on in Washington, it is great to see the A.G. taking action,” he said.
Adam Shaw is a Breitbart News politics reporter based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY.
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