Nikki Haley calls Trump's tweet about Elijah Cummings robbery "so unnecessary"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called President Trump's Friday tweet referencing a robbery at House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings' Baltimore home "so unnecessary" in a Twitter response.
Why it matters: Haley is the rare top former Trump administration official who left both on her own terms and in the president's good graces. Additionally, because she is often viewed as a potential GOP presidential contender in the future, her decision to directly respond to Trump — complete with an eye roll emoji — is significant in a party that often chooses not to do so.
- White House counselor Kellyanne Conway jumped into the fray on her boss' behalf later Friday, quote tweeting Haley's response and responding: "THIS is so unnecessary ... Trump-PENCE2020"
The backdrop: Trump tweeted this morning, "Really bad news! The Baltimore house of Elijah Cummings was robbed. Too bad!"
- A break-in was reported at Cummings' home early Saturday morning, per CBS Baltimore — hours before Trump unleashed a barrage of Twitter attacks against the senior House Democrat. It's yet not known if anything was taken.
- On Saturday morning, Trump called Cummings' majority-black district a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess," the latest in a series of attacks against congresspeople of color who directly oppose the president's agenda.
- As head of House Oversight, Cummings has been a leading Trump critic, issuing subpoenas against top administration officials in the process and blasting the state of Border Patrol facilities at the southern border.
Go deeper: Trump plants racial explosives in the urban-rural divide
