Edited By: Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Last Updated: February 28, 2023, 09:18 IST
Washington, United States
Nikki Haley, US presidential candidate, said during her time as US envoy to the UN she saw nations berating US in public but begging for aid in private (Image: Reuters)
Nikki Haley said taxpayer money should not go to countries like China, Pakistan and Iraq, who work against US’ best interests
US Presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Tuesday (local time) said Covid-19 came from a Chinese lab and said the US will not send aid to China and several other countries who work against the American interests.
COVID 19 likely came from a Chinese lab. Cut US aid. Not a cent to Communist China.— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 27, 2023
The Republican contender this week criticised both Republicans and Democrats for sending millions of dollars in aid to countries like Iraq, Pakistan and China.
The former South Carolina governor’s China comments come after a US Energy Department report said Covid-19 was a result of a lab leak in China with ‘low level confidence’, following the footsteps of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
However, both agencies have different reasons for arriving at the same conclusion and the energy department maintained that the virus was not a result of the Chinese biowarfare program.
Haley earlier this week in an op-ed in the New York Times said the Biden administration spent $46 billion in 2022 to help countries like Iraq, Pakistan and China.
“American taxpayers still give money to Communist China for ridiculous environmental programs, despite the obvious threat China poses to Americans. We give money to Belarus, which is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s closest ally. We even give money to Communist Cuba — a country our own government has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Haley said.
Haley said that she will cut foreign aid to countries that dislike the US and launched her #CutEveryCent campaign.
She also released a campaign video where she said that there are countries who bash the US in public and then “privately beg for money”.
“As UN ambassador, I saw how often anti-American countries bashed us in public then privately begged us for money. Their time is up. #CutEveryCent,” she said, while sharing her 43-second video.
“When I’m president, we will no longer give foreign aid to our enemies. We will stop that; we’ll start being smart and will start being strong again,” Haley later added in an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
She also accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists who kill American soldiers and then begging for American aid to tackle problems plaguing the country.
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