Nikki Haley in Taiwan says an isolationist policy is not healthy, expresses support for Trump

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on a visit to Taiwan Saturday that an isolationist policy isn’t “healthy” and called on the Republican Party to stand with her country’s allies, while still putting in good words for the party’s nominee, Donald Trump

Quick Read

• Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, visited Taiwan and expressed that an isolationist policy is not “healthy,” urging the Republican Party to support U.S. allies while also showing support for Donald Trump.
• Haley emphasized the importance of backing U.S. allies, including Ukraine and Israel, and underscored Taiwan’s significance, which Beijing claims as its territory.
• She highlighted that the U.S. cannot sit in a bubble and must engage globally to avoid being affected by international issues.
• Despite not immediately endorsing Trump after her own presidential bid ended, Haley later stated she would vote for him, acknowledging that he has work to do to win over voters who supported her.
• Haley praised Trump for showing American strength during his previous administration, citing pushback against China and sanctions on Russia and North Korea as examples.
• She argued that the strength demonstrated by the Trump administration prevented wars and invasions during his tenure, suggesting Trump would bring back that stability if re-elected.
• Haley criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she would continue the same policies as President Joe Biden, which she claimed have made the world less safe.
• Haley accused Harris of being part of the decisions that led to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the Hamas-Israel conflict.
• Haley called for the Republican Party to stand with U.S. allies and ensure that the country shows strength globally, stating that any authoritarian regime threatening other free countries should be a concern for the U.S.
• She emphasized the need to prevent communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from winning in global conflicts.
• During her trip, Haley met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and called for more international support for Taiwan, coordinated opposition to China’s claims over the island, and for Taiwan to become a full member of the United Nations.
• Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported that 38 Chinese warplanes and 12 vessels were detected around the island within a 24-hour period, with 32 planes crossing the unofficial boundary of the Taiwan Strait, heightening tensions.

The Associated press has the story:

Nikki Haley in Taiwan says an isolationist policy is not healthy, expresses support for Trump

Newslooks- TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) —

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on a visit to Taiwan Saturday that an isolationist policy isn’t “healthy” and called on the Republican Party to stand with her country’s allies, while still putting in good words for the party’s nominee, Donald Trump.

Haley, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, told reporters in the capital, Taipei, that supporting U.S. allies, including Ukraine and Israel, is vital. She underscored the importance of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, to be brought under control by force if necessary.

“I don’t think the isolationist approach is healthy. I think America can never sit in a bubble and think that we won’t be affected,” she said.

While the U.S. doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan, it is the island’s strongest backer and main arms provider. However, Trump’s attempt to reclaim the presidency has fueled worries. He said Taiwan should pay for U.S. protection in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek published in July and dodged answering the question of whether he would defend the island against a possible Chinese military action.

When Haley shuttered her own bid for the Republican nomination, she did not immediately endorse Trump, having accused him of causing chaos and disregarding the importance of U.S. alliances abroad. But in May she said she would be voting for him, while making it clear that she felt her former boss had work to do to win over voters who supported her.

On Saturday, she spoke in Trump’s favor. She said that having previously served with Trump’s administration, “we did show American strength in the world,” pointing to their pushback against China and their sanctioning of Russia and North Korea, among other efforts.

“I think that all of that strength that we showed is the reason that we didn’t see any wars, we didn’t see any invasions, we didn’t see any harm that happened during that time. I think Donald Trump would bring that back,” she said.

Trump has claimed that if elected, he would end the conflict in Ukraine before Inauguration Day in January. But Russia’s United Nations ambassador said he can’t. Trump’s public comments have varied between criticizing U.S. backing for Ukraine’s defense and supporting it, while his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has been a leader of Republican efforts to block what have been billions in U.S. military and financial assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.

Concerns among Ukraine and its supporters that the country could lose vital U.S. support have increased as Trump’s campaign surged.

Haley criticized Trump’s rival, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she would “do exactly” what President Joe Biden had done. She said Harris was part of his administration when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and when the Hamas-Israel war broke out last year.

“She was in the situation room right next to Joe Biden. She was there making the exact same decisions. Those decisions have made the world less safe,” she said.

Haley added that while the Republicans and Democrats may not currently concur on much, they agree on “the threats of China,” adding that Taiwan is now looking “to make sure that if China starts a fight with them, that they are prepared to make sure that they can fight back.”

She said her party should stand with the country’s allies and make sure that U.S. shows strength around the world. She also said any authoritarian regime and “communists” harming or hurting other free countries should be a personal matter to the U.S.

“We don’t want to see communist China win. We don’t want to see Russia win. We don’t want to see Iran or North Korea win,” she said.

Haley met Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te during this week’s trip. She called for more international backing for the self-ruled island, a coordinated pushback against China’s claims over it, and for Taiwan to become a full member of the United Nations.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that 38 warplanes and 12 vessels from China were detected around the island during a 24-hour period from Friday morning. Thirty-two of the planes crossed the middle of the line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that’s considered a buffer between the island and mainland.

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