Day 628: Trump worried about being called nepotistic if he commits nepotism

Nikki Haley abruptly resigned from her post as U.N. Ambassador Tuesday morning, taking nearly everyone by surprise, including other Cabinet members in Donald Trump’s administration.

While there are questions about the reasons for her resignation, another question turned to who would replace Haley.

One name that was mentioned by some — frequently with eye-rolls considering the propensity for the Trumps to elevate one another at all costs — was Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka.

Trump claimed, however, that her consideration would have “nothing to do with nepotism,” with the implication being that he believes Ivanka is qualified for the vitally important gig based on her own merit.

Obviously, Trump’s would-be consideration of his own daughter is the textbook definition of nepotism. There are federal anti-nepotism laws on the books that are already being flouted by Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, working in the White House.

But Trump’s concern — based on his own words — isn’t nepotism, it’s being accused of nepotism for committing nepotism that he doesn’t believe is nepotism.

Words, however, have never been Trump’s strong suit. For instance, Tuesday he was curious who “drew” a UN climate report. (Like most reports, it was drafted with words in ink, not with pictures in crayon.)

Ivanka, for her part, saw the firestorm to her father’s words, understood she would have had to go through a rigorous Senate confirmation process and withdrew from consideration for a job she was never remotely qualified for to begin with.

628 days in, 834 to go

Follow us on Twitter at @TrumpTimer