United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres shakes hands with new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley at the United Nations on Jan. 27 in New York. | Getty Haley promises 'new strength' for U.S. within United Nations

United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley signaled Friday that it will no longer be business as usual at the U.N., vowing that under the new administration the U.S. will “take names” of American allies “that don’t have our back.”

Haley, a former South Carolina governor, was sworn in as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.N. on Wednesday. In brief remarks at the U.N. in New York City on Friday, Haley projected a new strength that she suggested will make clear America’s value to the 193-member international organization.


“Our goal, with the administration, is to show value at the U.N.,” Haley told reporters. “And the way that we’ll show value is to show our strength, show our voice, have the backs of our allies and make sure that our allies have our back as well. For those that don’t have our back, we’re taking names. We will make points to respond to that accordingly.”

Ahead of a U.N. Security Council vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction in December, Trump had urged then-President Barack Obama to veto the measure, arguing in a statement that it would be unfair to Israelis and put them “in a very poor negotiating position.”

The U.S., however, abstained, prompting Trump to sound off on Twitter. In a Dec. 26 tweet, Trump noted the U.N.’s “great potential” but described its current state as “just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.”

Haley said her team has already “hit the ground running” since she was sworn in and declared, “There is a new U.S. U.N.”

“We talked to the staff yesterday, and you are gonna see a change in the way we do business,” she said. “It’s no longer about working harder. It’s about working smarter. And we have a fantastic team at the U.S. U.N. that’s ready to prove that.”

"This administration is prepared and ready to have me go in, look at the U.N. and everything that’s working we’re gonna make it better,” she said. “Everything that’s not working we’re gonna try and fix, and anything that seems to be obsolete and not necessary we’re gonna do away with. But this is a time of fresh eyes, new strength, new vision and a great day at the U.S. U.N.”