Nikki Haley Criticizes GOP Rival for Campaigning With ‘Anti-Israel’ Congress Member

(DailyVantage.com) – Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley blasted one of her rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for campaigning with a Republican congressman with a reputation for being anti-Israel.

Haley was referring to Republican Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, who has recently voted alongside Democrats—including members of the far-left “Squad”—on issues regarding Israel. Haley, who is also a former governor of South Carolina, called Massie “the most anti-Israel Republican there is.”

Speaking to supporters at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, recently, Haley called out the disconnect between DeSantis’ stand that the war in Ukraine is a simple “border dispute” and his association with an individual who is seemingly unsympathetic to Israel’s plight. Israel has seen repeated criticism, especially from liberals, regarding its response to Hamas’s devastating October 7 attacks. That attack took the lives of more than 1,200 people, a vast majority of whom were civilians, many of them women and children.

“You can’t be pro-Israel and bring the most anti-Israel Republican into this state,” Haley said, also calling out Massie’s recent decision to vote—again, with the ultra-progressive Squad—against combating antisemitism on college campuses. Massie was the lone Republican in Congress who voted against a recent resolution on antisemitism. The resolution was put forward following reports of a sharp uptick in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. following the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

DeSantis’ camp has dismissed Haley’s comments, saying that their candidate has not only consistently been pro-Israel but is the clearest pro-Israel GOP presidential candidate.

“He (DeSantis) has unequivocally supported Israel in exterminating Hamas,” DeSantis campaign press secretary Bryan Griffin told AP.

Massie has likewise brushed aside Haley’s statements, calling her a “brunette Liz Cheney,” further describing her as someone who “loves war and foreign aid.”

While former president Donald Trump is still the strong front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, competition between the rest of the Republican presidential aspirants has been contentious. Haley leads DeSantis by as much as 18% in polls for New Hampshire, an early primary state.