In a recent Fox News town hall in South Carolina, Nikki Haley took a swipe at her Republican presidential primary rival, Donald Trump, criticizing his approach towards Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What Happened: Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, lambasted Trump for his perceived deferential stance toward Putin, as reported by HuffPost on Monday. She underscored the need for a president who can stand firm against Putin, especially in light of the recent death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a remote Arctic penal colony.
"Every time he was in the same room with him, he got weak in the knees," Haley said.
"We can't have a president that gets weak in the knees with Putin. We have to have a president that's going to be strong with Putin in every sense of the word."
Haley, like many other world leaders, attributed Navalny’s death to Putin. She then called out Trump, who has often praised Putin, saying he “needs to answer whether he thinks Putin is responsible for Navalny.”
At the same town hall, Haley also stated that she would pardon him if she won the White House and Trump was convicted in a federal court. She argued that it would be in the country’s best interest to move on and leave behind any negativity or division.
Why It Matters: Haley has been openly critical of Trump’s relationship with Putin. Earlier this week, she accused Trump of being complicit in Putin’s actions following the death of Navalny. She took to social media to express her condemnation of Putin’s actions and Trump’s defense of the Russian leader.
Her recent remarks come in the wake of former National Security Advisor John Bolton‘s warning that the Russian government would likely celebrate if Trump were to be re-elected, viewing him as an “easy mark.” Bolton criticized Trump's relationship with Putin, stating that Putin sees Trump as an easy target. He also dismissed Putin's recent near-endorsement of President Joe Biden, calling it "disinformation."
Photo via Shutterstock
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