Culled from the Economist

 

Wavering voters in highly competitive congressional districts are not going to base their electoral decision on whether and when America’s ambassador to the United Nations resigns. That Nikki Haley chose to do so on October 9th is nonetheless odd.

 

Just a few weeks before the mid-terms, when Republicans are still crowing about having rammed Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court, her resignation reinforces the impression that Mr Trump’s administration is understaffed and chaotic.

 

But anyone to whom that matters is already voting for a Democrat, Mr Trump’s supporters have little use for the UN and would probably be happy to see Mr Haley’s position unfilled. Her departure does not move the needle all that much: Democrats remain on track to take the House of Representatives, and Republicans to hold the Senate.

 

Her resignation seems to have caught senior White House staff by surprise. Despite a recent report raising questions about her use of private jets, Ms Haley faced no pressure to resign. Unlike many of the president’s initial cabinet appointees, she began as a critic rather than a supporter of Mr Trump.

 

But, like so many other Republicans, she turned from critic to good soldier, promoting Mr Trump’s policies and adopting his combative style—warning before member states voted on a resolution condemning Mr Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem that she would be “taking names”.