‘Policy over personality’ – Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a frequent critic of Donald Trump, explains her endorsement of her former boss.
By World Israel News Staff
Former South Carolina Governor and 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley took aim at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday over the administration’s reinstatement of funding for a United Nations aid agency accused of links to Hamas and other Gaza terror groups.
Haley, who served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations under Donald Trump, was a frequent critic of the former president during her failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination this year, and declined to explicitly endorse him even after she dropped out of the race on March 6th.
During the 2024 Republican National Convention in July, however, Haley offered her “strong endorsement” of Trump, warning against a Harris presidency.
On Tuesday, Haley defended her endorsement of Trump despite her past criticisms of her former boss, telling Fox News it is “more important to support policy over personality,” castigating the Biden administration’s handling of the economy and foreign policy.
Haley also took to X/Twitter to condemn the White House’s policies, warning that should Kamala Harris be elected next week, the U.S. would face even greater consequences.
Among the policies Haley took issue with was the decision by the Biden administration to restore American funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), amid accusations the agency ignored the involvement of some of its employees with terrorist groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and claims UNRWA turned a blind eye to the misuse of its funds and facilities.
UNRWA has also faced criticism for the anti-Israel and antisemitic incitement in textbooks used by schools operated by the agency.
“We knew long before Oct. 7 that UNRWA spread anti-Israel and antisemitic hate,” Haley wrote.
“That’s why the U.S. stopped giving them hundreds of millions of dollars when I was at the UN.”
“Biden-Harris gave the money back, no strings attached. America and Israel will suffer the consequences if Kamala Harris is elected.”
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump suspended funding for UNRWA. The U.S. had previously been spending some $360 million annually on the agency, making American UNRWA’s largest donor.
In 2021, however, just months after taking office, President Biden resumed funding UNRWA to the tune of roughly $150 million per year.
Following revelations that some UNRWA employees took part in the invasion of Israel on October 7th and subsequent atrocities, President Biden froze funding for UNRWA, starting in January 2024. Two months later, Congress passed legislation barring direct funding for UNRWA until MArch 2025.