India playing it smart in ties with US, Russia: Nikki Haley

Chiding the Biden administration for being “weak,” Indian American Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley says India would want to be a partner with the US when “we start to lead again.”

“I have dealt with India too. I have got to say, I have dealt with India too. I have talked with (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). India wants to be a partner with us. They don’t want to be a partner with Russia,” she said in an interview with Fox Business News, Wednesday.

“The problem is, India doesn’t trust us to win. They don’t trust us to lead. They see right now that we’re weak,” said Haley, who served as US ambassador to UN under then President Donald Trump.

READ: Defying Trump, Nikki Haley seeks border deal “fix now” (February 6, 2024)

“India has always played it smart. They have played it smart, and they have stayed close with Russia, because that’s where they get a lot of their military equipment,” she said in response to a question.

“When we start to lead again, when we start to get the weakness out and stop putting our head in the sand, that’s when our friends, India, Australia, New Zealand, all of them will — and Israel, Japan, South Korea — all of them want to do that. Japan gave themselves a billion-dollar stimulus to become less dependent on China,” Haley said.

“India gave themselves a billion-dollar stimulus to become less dependent on China,” she said suggesting the US needs to start building up its alliances.

READ: Nikki Haley calls Trump and Biden ‘equally bad’ for the nation (January 22, 2024)

Haley said China is not doing well economically and is preparing for a war with the US. “Financially, they’re not doing well. You see their government has become more controlling. They have been preparing for war with us for years. That’s their mistake,” she said.

Meanwhile, downplaying her embarrassing loss in this week’s primary and caucus in Nevada to “none of these candidates,” Haley alleged that the caucus is “rigged” for frontrunner rival Trump.

Her eyes are on the next major contest in the Republican nominating calendar — the primary later this month in her home state of South Carolina, as well as on Super Tuesday in early March.

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Despite the loss in Nevada, Haley vowed at a Wednesday campaign event in Los Angeles that she would stay in the race.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this for the long haul,” Haley said without mentioning the Nevada loss. “And this is going to be messy. And this is going to hurt, and it’s going to leave some bruises.”

There were no delegates at stake in Tuesday’s election. Instead, all 26 of Nevada’s Republican delegates will be up for grabs in Thursday’s caucuses, which Trump is expected to win.

Haley and Trump are the only two major candidates remaining in the Republican primary race. After losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, Haley is still trying to pull off a strong showing in South Carolina, her home state, later this month and in the Super Tuesday races in March.

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