Nikki Haley on the Today Show 2 24 24

Today remarkably marks two years since the start of this brutal war there, nine days have passed since the death of Vladimir Putin's chief domestic critic, Alexei Navalny. Donald Trump has yet to condemn him. You served as Mr. Trump's U.N. ambassador. You know that he never condemns Putin or Russia. So simply put, what is the risk to America's national security by refusing to condemn Putin and Russia? You know, I mean, he said it wasn't that he refused to condemn him, he went further than that. In South Carolina, he gave a speech and he said that he would actually encourage Putin to invade our allies. Think about that. That means he's siding with a dictator who kills his political opponents. He's siding with a tyrant who arrests American journalists and holds them hostage. He's siding with a thug who's made no bones about the fact that he wants to destroy America. And here you have Ukraine. I mean, the fact that half a, you know, half a million people have died and been wounded because Putin invaded Ukraine. This is the time that America needs to understand that Putin has made it very clear once he takes Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics are next. If that happens, that puts America at war. We are trying to prevent war. And when Trump went and said that he wanted Putin to invade our allies, that immediately made our allies vulnerable. It emboldened Putin, which is why he's now putting troops around the Baltic countries. And it put all of our military men and women in those areas at risk. I'm sorry to interrupt you there. So let me just follow up on that very quickly. As you know, well, the 60 billion dollars in additional aid to Ukraine right now is held up. The House Republican speaker, Mike Johnson, has not allowed for a vote on that. But many people, some on both sides of the aisle, think could pass largely because Donald Trump doesn't want this to be supported. Should there be a vote on that aid for Ukraine immediately? There should be a vote for aid on Ukraine. We should give them the equipment and ammunition we need to win. But you should also acknowledge where the fault lies. Yes, it lies in the fact that Trump is retreating and getting weak in the knees when it comes to Putin. But it should also follow on the fact that Joe Biden needs to tell the American people why they need to care about Ukraine. But if the Republicans allow a vote, then that money would go to Ukraine. Madam Ambassador, wouldn't that money go to Ukraine? Yes. The president's made the case. So why not just allow the vote? But Joe Biden needs. Joe Biden needs to explain to people why Ukraine matters the same way he needs to explain why Israel matters, the same way he needs to explain why America can never be so arrogant to think we don't need friends. Yes, they should have a vote on Ukraine. Yes, they should have a vote on Israel. Yes, they should have a vote on the border. And they should not in any way lie to the American people to make them think they have to pick either Ukraine and Israel or the border. If we supported Ukraine, Israel and secured the border, that's less than 20 percent of Biden's green subsidies. We need to start telling the American people the truth so that they know exactly what the decisions are in front of us. Ambassador Nikki Haley, we very much appreciate your time. Safe travels on the trail. Appreciate it. Get out and vote today. In a general election, you're given a choice. In a primary, you make your choice. Let's make our choice.