Nikki Haley says Trump showed ‘moral weakness’ trying to befriend Xi

Republican presidential candidate and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley blasted former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying that he “showed moral weakness” during meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Haley argued that while Trump, 77, “deserves credit” for forcing Republicans and Democrats to “take off their blinders” with respect to China, he didn’t do enough during his presidency to “protect America” from the communist nation.

“He did not put us on a stronger military foothold in Asia. He did not stop the flow of American technology and investment into the Chinese military. He did not effectively rally our allies against the Chinese threat. Even the trade deal he signed came up short,” the 51-year-old former Trump administration official said of her ex-boss during her remarks at the American Enterprise Institute.

“He also showed moral weakness in his zeal to befriend President Xi,” Haley added, noting that Trump “congratulated the Communist Party on its 70th anniversary of conquering China.”

“That sent a wrong message to the world. Chinese communism must be condemned, never congratulated,” the former South Carolina governor told the audience at the Washington, DC, think tank.

Haley further declared China was “militarily stronger” after Trump left office than when he entered. 

“That’s bad,” Haley said, before adding, “but Joe Biden’s record is much worse.” 

She went on to decry Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing last week as a “gold plated-invitation for more Chinese aggression, not less.”

A RealClearPolitics average of polls has Haley in fourth place among the field of 2024 GOP presidential candidates, with 3.6% support, well behind Trump, who is leading the pack with 52.1% support.