Nikki Haley vows to cut funding to Pakistan and China if she wins US presidential race

Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who recently launched her 2024 US presidential bid, said that if voted to power she will cut foreign aid to countries that “hate the US” including Pakistan and China.

In a recent op-ed published in the New York Post, Haley said: “I will cut every cent in foreign aid for countries that hate us. A strong America doesn’t pay off the bad guys. A proud America doesn’t waste our people’s hard-earned money. And the only leaders who deserve our trust are those [who] stand up to our enemies and stand beside our friends.”

Haley said US taxpayers will be shocked to find out where their money goes. “America had spent $46 billion on foreign aid last year…Taxpayers deserve to know where that money is going and what it’s doing. They will be shocked to find that much of it goes to fund anti-American countries and causes,” she said.

Citing examples she said: “We have given Iraq more than $1 billion over the last few years, even though its government is getting closer to the murderous thugs in Iran who shout “Death to America.”

“The Biden administration resumed military aid to Pakistan, though it’s home to at least a dozen terrorist organizations and its government is deeply in hock [debt] to China.

“This is not just Joe Biden. It’s been happening for decades under presidents of both parties. Our foreign-aid policies are stuck in the past. They typically operate an autopilot, with no consideration for the conduct of the countries that receive our aid. The Washington bureaucracy and its defenders in Congress inevitably dig in to save these global giveaways,” she said.

Haley said that US taxpayers’ money is also getting wasted on China for “ridiculous environment programmes.”

“I am running for president to restore our nation’s strength, our national pride and our people’s trust. Backing American allies and friends like Israel and Ukraine is smart. Sending our tax dollars to enemies isn’t.”

Haley is the first Indian American woman from the Republican Party to run for the presidential bid.