Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley made a forceful case for the United States' support for Ukraine, a stark contrast with the leaders of the Republican 2024 presidential field, in a CNN town hall Sunday night in Iowa.
Haley's comments highlighted one of her key differences with former President Donald Trump, who tapped the former South Carolina governor as his UN ambassador, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Here are three early takeaways from her ongoing town hall:
Breaking with Trump and DeSantis, Haley makes the case for Ukraine
While Trump and DeSantis have made headlines with their wobbly positions on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Haley made a clear case for continued American involvement in the war, arguing that victory for Russia would set off an even more deadly global crisis.
"This is bigger than Ukraine," Haley said during the CNN town hall, "this is a war about freedom and it's one we have to win.
Haley's comments represented a clear break from Trump, who appointed her ambassador to the United Nations, who has often touted his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin -- a man she labeled a tyrant.
"For them to sit there and say this is just a territorial dispute, that's just not the case," Haley added in a barb aimed for DeSantis who initially labeled the war that way before backtracking.
Haley also called out Trump for congratulating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week after the hermit kingdom was elected to the World Health Organization's executive board.
"Congratulate our friends, don't congratulate our enemies," Haley said, while also calling the WHO a "farce."
Still, Haley's sharpest words on foreign policy were directed at Biden, whom she blamed for setting the stage for Russian aggression by mishandling the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
"We've got chaos everywhere and none of that would've happened," she said, if not for the clumsy -- and deadly -- departure from the country the US invaded in 2001.
Haley explains federal role on abortion
Haley said she believes there is a "federal role" in restricting abortion rights. But she wouldn't directly answer questions about at what point in pregnancies she would seek to outlaw abortion.
Instead, Haley said she would seek a consensus that could clear the House and the Senate's 60-vote threshold to end a filibuster.
She said she believes such a consensus measure would include banning late-term abortions, encouraging adoptions, making contraceptives more widely available and making clear that women who have abortions would not be jailed.
"Can't we start there? Because what the politicos and what the media have done is they've made you demonize the situation when it's so personal that we have to humanize the situation," Haley said. "Our goal should always be, how do we save as many babies as we can, and support as many mothers as we do it."
She said she is "unapologetically pro-life" because her husband was adopted and she "had trouble having both of my children."
But, Haley added, "I don't judge anyone for being pro-choice any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life."
Haley says she would end tech exports to China
Haley staked out a tough approach to China, saying the country "without question is our No. 1 national security threat."
She said she would not seek to restrict trade with China on consumer goods and agricultural products. But she said she would seek to stop U.S. exports of tech equipment to China.
She also said the coronavirus pandemic revealed the United States' over-reliance on Chinese goods.
"What I will focus on is when I become president, the very first day you look at it and say, if China pulls the rug out from us tomorrow, would we be ready? Would we be safe?" Haley said.
Haley said she would sanction China for its role in supplying fentanyl that arrives in the United States, often via Mexican cartels.
"There's nothing that they dislike more than when we hit their wallet," she said.
She stopped short, though, of endorsing President Joe Biden's position that US forces would defend Taiwan if China invades.
"No, what I will tell you is, we are going to make sure they have the equipment, the ammunition and the training to win themselves," Haley said.
