Editor’s note: Big Tent Ideas always aims to provide balancing perspectives on the hottest issues of the day. Below is a column from commentator Rasheed Walters arguing that Nikki Haley’s hawkish foreign policy is out of step with the Trump Republican Party. You can find a counterpoint here, where Air Force veteran Melinda Tourangeau argues that Nikki Haley’s “peace through strength” policies would make her the ideal president for our time.
In the 2024 Republican presidential primary, there have been rumblings outside the massive 46.3-point advantage held by former President Donald Trump. A surprise contender, former ambassador Nikki Haley, is making strides in the polls.
There are two factions inside the Republican Party: one supporting Donald Trump and his America First agenda, and the other supporting the globalist, neocon, establishment, business as usual agenda.
The business-as-usual Republican crew is seeking a candidate to defeat Donald Trump, who poses an existential threat to their agenda. The noble horse they chose to gallop toward triumph, Governor Ron DeSantis, unfortunately has slowed to a crippling halt.
The DeSantis disaster has set off a wild race among establishment donors and political operatives, as they desperately search for a new horse to bet on. Among all the candidates in the contest, Haley has the most in common with the swamp GOP establishment, which makes her an ideal fit. Nikki Haley is an unrepentant neoconservative who has no shame in her game when it comes to opposing the America First agenda. (RELATED: DEROY MURDOCK: Donald Trump Looks More Electable By The Day)
In 2017, during her tenure as US Ambassador to the United Nations, Haley was an aggressive warmonger. Despite President Trump’s clear demands to pivot away from Bush-era neocon polices, Haley wanted US military intervention in North Korea, Iran, and Syria. In 2021, Haley opposed the US withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.
“Our enemies have always hoped this day would come,” she said. “They know from history that when America retreats, freedom falters.” It comes as no surprise that after her tenure as the warmongering UN Ambassador she was rewarded with a cozy paid board position at Boeing.
When it comes to trade, Haley is a globalist and “no fan of tariffs” against our enemies like China — even though they work.
Donald Trump stands in stark contrast to Nikki Healy. Trump chose to meet with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, and forge a peace deal rather than intervene militarily. He deescalated the evident start to World War III when Iran retaliated for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. Also, Trump pulled US troops out of Syria. There were no new foreign wars under the Trump presidency.
The United States’ trade strategy under Trump was the most successful in recent history, particularly in terms of leveling the playing field with China. The phase one China trade act required China to purchase $200 billion in US products and services, which would have decreased the trade deficit to $167 billion dollars. Trump was a thorn in the side of the neocons and globalists; Haley is their silver lining. (RELATED: RASHEED WALTERS: The Case For Donald Trump)
According to Gallup polls, Republican support for Ukraine war has withered since start of conflict. Republican voters have had enough of war, particularly when it comes to Ukraine, which serves as a litmus test for any Republican candidate seeking office and aligning with neoconservative principles.
Contrarily, Haley believes it is the duty of United States to support Ukraine financially so that they may promote “freedom and democracy” and undermine Russian President Vladimir Putin through proxy. “When you see a freedom-loving country trying to protect their own turf, we should give them every ounce of ammunition they need,” Haley said in 2021. Her words April 2022 must have made her friends at the military industrial complex lick their chops, anticipating the hefty profits coming their way.
The American people deserve a president who isn’t in bed with special interests, particularly the military industrial complex, and has no desire to sacrifice American lives for the sake of lining their buddies’ pockets. We yearn for peace and prosperity, a path that can solely be paved by the reemergence of an America First Donald Trump presidency.
Rasheed Walters is an entrepreneur, political commentator and historian who resides in Boston. Follow him on Twitter @rasheednwalters.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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