Former Ambassador Nikki Haley bashed woke “college students and Washington politicians” in a fiery speech on Saturday night.
Haley, who is rumored to be a Republican 2024 presidential candidate, made the remarks as she received the Patriot Award, the highest individual award presented by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
“The rising generations don’t think America should survive. They don’t want to sacrifice anything for the land of the free, because they don’t think our freedom matters,” Haley told attendees at the Congressional Medal of Honor Patriot Awards Gala in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Former recipients of the Patriot Award include former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, former Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, among others. By bestowing the award to Haley, the society acknowledged her unwavering dedication to freedom, evident throughout her life’s work.
“I wish the college students and Washington politicians would pay attention to what’s really happening. I wish they would recognize that evil is real across the world,” Haley further told the crowd, recalling the events she witnessed during her time as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
She heard plenty of hateful talk about America while at the U.N., yet she was shocked by the amount of hatred for the country coming from home. “I never expected to hear those same lies from my fellow Americans,” Haley said.
“They say our national ideals of liberty, equality, and the rule of law are nothing more than tools of oppression,” she said. “They even claim that living in America is a curse — not a blessing. But they couldn’t be more wrong.”
The former South Carolina governor also issued a warning and said, “Make no mistake: Nothing, nothing makes our enemies happier than our national self-loathing.”
“When they see our college students shouting that America is racist … when they see rioters trying to burn our cities to the ground … the dictators of the world think their time has come,” she said. “They think freedom is retreating — and the tyrants are ready to rush into the breach.”
While not a veteran herself, her husband Michael spent time deployed in Afghanistan. Haley detailed his deployment during the speech, explaining that while it was sad for her family, it was “replaced by a deep feeling of pride.”
“Our loved ones were going overseas to keep us safe. My Michael, and his brothers and sisters in uniform, were going to preserve our freedom,” the former ambassador said.
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She further thanked the veterans in the audience profusely for answering the call to protect America, telling them, “Your patriotism summons us to action.”
The society was formed by Congress in 1958 “to address the work and well-being of Recipients.” Thus far, there have been 3,515 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 65 of whom are living. Those who were awarded the country’s highest military award for valor are recognized as having gone above and beyond the call of duty.
