WASHINGTON �� The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday that she's maintaining a hard line against Russia, even as President Donald Trump continues to dismiss reports of Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. election.
"Certainly I think Russia was involved in the election. There's no question about that," Nikki Haley said on ABC's "This Week," according to a transcript provided by the network.
As recently as Saturday, Trump derided investigations into Russia's interference in the election as "the phony Russia story. A total scam!"
Yet Haley said she and Trump are "both saying the same thing" about Russia. "It's just being reported differently." Once the information comes out, "I expect that that will be handled accordingly," Haley said, without providing specifics what the U.S. might do.
Haley, the former Republican governor of South Carolina, said Trump is letting her chart her own path at the U.N.
"He is not stopping me from beating up on Russia. He's not stopping me from talking about the pressure that China needs to be putting on North Korea," she said.
Haley said the new U.S. administration has "beat up on" Russia about its invasion of Crimea, although her predecessor, Samantha Power, did so regularly, and the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
