Nikki Haley expressed her disapproval regarding Tulsi Gabbard being chosen by president-elect Donald Trump for the role of Director of National Intelligence, as well as the potential selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services, during her podcast on Wednesday.
Haley, who is an advocate for Trump and emphasizes his policy decisions over his character, appears to have reservations about this situation. She stated that the position of DNI “is not suitable for someone who sympathizes with Russia, Iran, Syria, or China.”
“[Gabbard] was against the termination of the Iran nuclear agreement. She resisted sanctions on Iran. She opposed the designation of the Iranian military as terrorists who proclaim ‘death to America’ daily,” remarked Trump’s former United Nations ambassador on SiriusXM’s Nikki Haley Live.
“She claimed that Donald Trump transformed the U.S. into Saudi Arabia’s servant. This is who could potentially lead our national intelligence.”
Haley condemned Gabbard’s “appalling” visit to Syria in 2017, which she described as a “photo op with Bashar al-Assad.” Gabbard has expressed skepticism regarding the dictator’s alleged use of chemical weapons against his own citizens.
Additionally, Haley noted her concerns regarding Gabbard’s comments following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Tulsi Gabbard actually blamed NATO, which is our Western alliance that is critical for countering Russia,” Haley remarked. “She held NATO responsible for the attack on Ukraine, and her statements were repeated by Russian and Chinese media outlets.”
Haley went on to criticize the idea of vaccine skeptic Kennedy becoming Trump’s choice to lead the health department.
“He is a liberal Democrat and an environmental trial lawyer who will now be charged with overseeing 25 percent of our federal budget, and he lacks a healthcare background,” Haley pointed out.
“While some of you might find RFK appealing or appreciate his inquiries into our food and vaccines, we cannot predict what decisions he might make in the background once he is in charge of an agency.”
