NIKKI – AT 11:08 A.M. ET:  One of the true stars of this administration is UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has performed her work with perfect pitch, and has made it clear that she represents the United States, not the faculty lounge at Georgetown.  She asserts that the UN is changing under Trump's pressure.  From The Hill: 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is crediting President Trump with cultivating change at the U.N., saying ahead of his first visit to the international body that "it is a new day at the U.N."  

"It is a new day at the U.N. I think that the pleas he made in terms of trying to see change at the United Nations had been heard, and I think  what we'll do is see him respond to that," Haley told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." 

"What you are now seeing is the Israel bashing has become more balanced. You've got a United Nations that is action oriented, we've passed two resolutions on  North Korea just in the last month. And you also have a United Nations that is moving toward reform," Haley said on Sunday. 

"We said we needed to get value for our dollar, and what we're finding is that the international community is right there with us in support of reform," she added.

Trump is set to address the U.N. General Assembly for the first time on Tuesday. 

He has criticized the U.N. in the past, saying that it had expressed anti-Israeli sentiments, did not take action on a variety of issues and was overly dependent on U.S. funding.  

COMMENT:  I think wonderful Nikki may be overstating the gains, but she is not overstating Trump's resolve.  They may not like him at the UN, but they know they have to listen to him. 

Trump's appearance this week is critical.  It's clear from comments by a number of sources that his speech is being carefully prepared.  I sense it may well be a triumph, and that the Obama era at the UN may well be behind us.

September 17,  2017