Nikki Haley has impressed at the UN. But can she save the world?

A new profile is asking the question hanging over Nikki Haley’s tenure at the United Nations: Can the former S.C. governor save the world?

That’s the headline on a lengthy profile of the United Nations ambassador in New York magazine, focusing on Haley’s ability to convert President Donald Trump’s ideas about the world into policy actions while trying to navigate a dangerous world.

“At the U.N., she has aggressively built the case for a potential war with North Korea, which is building nuclear weapons, while working to scuttle a multilateral pact designed to keep Iran from following suit,” writer Andrew Rice says.

But Haley also given impressed fellow diplomats by following a philosophy of “Kick ’em with a smile” – Haley’s motto to her UN staff.

When Haley called for a Security Council meeting after a July 4th missile test by North Korea, she warned the United States was “prepared to use the full range of its capabilities,” including “our considerable military forces.”

Haley’s language was rebuffed by China, and Russia denounced her “provocation and warmongering. But, in the end, Haley won unanimous approval for a new round of sanctions on North Korea.

Later, when Trump was weighing whether to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal, Haley offered to “lay a foundation” by publicly suggesting the president could “decertify” Iran’s compliance with the agreement and then leave it up to Congress whether or not to reimpose sanctions.

That was the path Trump eventually chose, leading Politico to label Haley as Trump’s “Iran whisperer.”

New York magazine is the latest national publication to put the spotlight on Haley’s role at the United Nations.

▪ The Washington Post called Haley a megaphone for Trump in the job

▪ She’s appeared on numerous lists, from Bloomberg’s Top 50 to one of the best speakers in politics

▪ Time magazine released a cover featuring Haley as one of the “Women Who Are Changing the World.”

Haley’s increased profile has led some to speculate Haley is positioning herself for a run at the White House, from the New York Times to Vox to the Democratic National Committee, which reportedly has done opposition research on Haley as a potential future candidate.

This story was originally published December 12, 2017 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Nikki Haley has impressed at the UN. But can she save the world?."