Ambassador Nikki Haley withdrew from consideration for the role of Secretary of State, aware of her own resume and knowing that President Donald Trump "could find someone better," the former governor told CNN.
A staunch supporter of Marco Rubio during the GOP primary, Haley seemed like an odd candidate to be considered for a prominent role in Trump's administration in the first place, but Haley's reticence was far more basic.
"I'm very aware of when things are right and when they are not," Haley told CNN. "I just thought he could find someone better."
In an extensive interview, Haley told CNN she returned to South Carolina to finish out her finals two years as governor, when then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus called with another proposition: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
"I said, 'I am a policy girl, I want to be part of the decision-making process,'" Haley told CNN about a meeting with Trump. "He said, 'Done.' And I said, 'I don't want to be a wallflower or a talking head. I want to be able to speak my mind.' He said, 'That is why I asked you to do this.'
"In all honesty, I didn't think they were going to take me up on everything I asked for. And they gave me all that. So how do you turn that down?" Haley told CNN.
That meant a seat on Trump's cabinet and a spot on the principals committee of the National Security Council.
Haley has had the spotlight on her more than once for seemingly being on a different page than the president, but told CNN he has never tried to rein her in and they are in lockstep.
"I don't go rogue on the president," Haley told CNN. "I'm a strong voice by nature. He's very aware of what I'm doing and he's very supportive."
While Haley was under consideration for the role of Secretary of State, she was never formally offered the job.
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