Israel was top of mind for GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley during a campaign stop in northwest Iowa Sunday night. She also outlined her top priorities heading into the Iowa caucuses in January.
“I won't sugarcoat that I've got a heavy heart today," Haley said. "You can't look at the news and not feel just incredibly sad and concerned."
Haley believes Iran is behind the Hamas attacks in Israel. United States officials say they haven’t seen evidence of Tehran’s involvement.
“We have to stand with Israel against this evil, we have to," she said. "I strongly believe you can't destroy what God has blessed, and God has blessed Israel."
Haley didn’t say what she would do in response to the situation.
The 200 people who attended the town hall at Morningside University applauded Haley’s comments on Israel and many of her other talking points during an hour-long speech and question-and-answer session.
Haley shared how her past prepared her to be a strong leader. She mentioned growing up in a small, rural town in South Carolina before attending Clemson University to study accounting. Haley said people laughed at her when she ran against a long-serving lawmaker in her first race for the South Carolina Legislature in 2004. She won three terms before running for governor in a field she says was full of political veterans.
“When I became governor, South Carolina was hurting. We had 11% unemployment. We had thousands of people on welfare, and South Carolina was the butt of jokes," she said.
By the time she left the office, Haley said the unemployment rate had fallen to 4% due to expanded business with companies like Boeing, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volvo.
When working with the United Nations, her job from 2017 to 2019 as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Haley said she helped bring respect back to America.
“We pulled ourselves out of the Iran deal. We moved our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," she said. "I negotiated with China and Russia for the largest set of sanctions against the country in a generation against North Korea. But the most important thing that we did was we took the ‘kick me' sign off of our backs."
On the international front, Haley said the U.S. needs to develop a tougher stance on China, a country she says has been "planning a war against the U.S. for years." She also understands the debate surrounding financial support for Ukraine, but says it's essential to back an ally like Ukraine.
"They are pro-American freedom-loving people. So here comes this thug that invades their country. And what do they do?" she asked. "They go to the frontlines, just like Israel's doing, to defend their country. Everybody gave them five days to survive. Look at what they've done."
Haley says Ukraine's military has defeated 50% of Russian forces, but added the U.S. should not provide cash assistance or troops on the ground. She says she prefers equipment and ammunition instead.
"Russia said after Ukraine, it's Poland and the Baltics, then those are NATO countries, then we're at war. That's what we're trying to prevent," she said. "But if Ukraine wins, it sends the biggest message to Iran, it sends the biggest message to North Korea, it sends the biggest message to China that wants to invade Taiwan."
During her visit, Haley also touched on the national debt, the southern border, education, support for veterans and how Republicans need to gain the support of Americans.
"Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That is nothing to be proud of," she said. "You don't defeat Democrat chaos with Republican chaos. That's not the way you win. We've got to leave the baggage and the negativity and the headlines of the past and look forward and figure out what it's going to take to make America strong in the future."
A recent poll shows Haley ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire, but they both trail former President Donald Trump by a large margin. Haley and DeSantis are making campaign stops in Iowa on Monday. Haley is in Ida Grove and Boone. DeSantis will campaign in Le Mars.
Haley stressed she is the underdog who knows how to win elections.
“I have been underestimated in everything I've ever done, and it's a blessing, because it makes me scrappy," she said. "No one's going to outwork me in this race. No one's going to outsmart me in this race. Because we do have a country to save.”
