Op-Ed by Nikki Haley - I'll Cut the Billions in Foreign Aid We Send Our Enemies

New York Post by Nikki Haley

America spent $46 billion on foreign aid last year. That's more than any other country by far. Taxpayers deserve to know where that money is going and what it's doing. They will be shocked to find that much of it goes to fund anti-American countries and causes. As president, I'll put a stop to this fiasco.

Here are just a few examples.

We've given Iraq more than $1 billion over the last few years, even though its government is getting closer to the murderous thugs in Iran who shout "Death to America!" and launch attacks on our troops.

The Biden administration resumed military aid to Pakistan, though it's home to at least a dozen terrorist organizations and its government is deeply in hock to China.

Team Biden restored half a billion dollars to a corrupt United Nations agency that's supposed to help the Palestinian people but in fact covers for deeply anti-Semitic propaganda against our ally Israel.

We give hundreds of millions of dollars to Zimbabwe, a country with one of the most anti-American voting records in the UN.

If those examples aren't bad enough, it gets worse — almost comical if it weren't true.

American taxpayers still give money to Communist China for ridiculous environment programs, despite the obvious threat China poses to Americans. We give money to Belarus, which is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's closest ally. We even give money to Communist Cuba — a country our own government has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.

This is not just Joe Biden. It's been happening for decades under presidents of both parties. Our foreign-aid policies are stuck in the past. They typically operate on autopilot, with no consideration for the conduct of the countries that receive our aid. The Washington bureaucracy and its defenders in Congress inevitably dig in to save these global giveaways. It will take a determined president to root out these taxpayer rip-offs.

I am running for president to restore our nation's strength, our national pride and our people's trust. Backing American allies and friends like Israel and Ukraine is smart. Sending our tax dollars to enemies isn't.

That's why I will cut every cent in foreign aid for countries that hate us. A strong America doesn't pay off the bad guys. A proud America doesn't waste our people's hard-earned money. And the only leaders who deserve our trust are those who stand up to our enemies and stand beside our friends.

I will be that president, just as I was that ambassador.

As US ambassador to the United Nations, I saw how often anti-American countries bashed us in public then privately begged us for money. And I lost confidence in our leaders, who know what's happening but keep letting our enemies pig out at the taxpayer trough. Year after year, Congress throws billions of dollars at our enemies and their allies, instead of focusing on America's allies and our interests.

As ambassador, I strongly supported President Donald Trump's decision to cut nearly $2 billion of military aid to Pakistan because that country supports terrorists who kill American troops. It was a major victory for our troops, our taxpayers and our vital interests, but it didn't go nearly far enough. We've still given them way too much in other aid. As president, I will block every penny.