Nikki Haley’s resignation as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was as mystifying as her appointment was surprising. There was basically no advanced notice that the former Republican South Carolina governor was thinking about leaving her post, let alone announcing it less than a month before Americans go to the polls to elect a new Congress. Pundits will spend the ensuing 24 to 48 hours wondering why she decided to quit: was she on the outs with President Trump; did something dramatic behind the scenes happen that hasn’t yet been disclosed; maybe she really was the anonymous author of that New York Times op-ed describing Trump as a reckless and bumbling fool close to taking the country off the cliff?

[Related: Nikki Haley is going to run against Mike Pence in 2024, not against Donald Trump in 2020]