CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Nikki Haley has lengthy tried to set herself aside from her Republican presidential rivals on foreign policy, peppering her speeches with anecdotes about serving as United Nations ambassador and the threats she sees from China and Russia.

The conflict provoked by Hamas’ attack on Israel has shaken American politics — and put the main race in her wheelhouse.

Haley nonetheless stays nicely behind former President Donald Trump after two energetic debate performances however is attempting to place herself as his chief rival by drawing contrasts on how they view U.S. duty in foreign affairs. She’s tying the conflict between Israel and Hamas to her conservative home priorities, arguing that each Israel and the U.S. could be made weak by what she calls “distractions.”

“If you look at how divided America is, if you look at how distracted America is, when that happens, our enemies take notice, because it shows weakness,” she mentioned in an interview this week. “We are seeing in Israel, they have had distractions, and you see this happen. We should not think we’re so immune that we can continue to have this division and distraction, and that we’re not going to pay a price for it.”

Pressed on what she meant, she mentioned she wouldn’t criticize Israel however cited numerous points in the U.S., together with the fall of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the rising nationwide debt, and spiking numbers of unlawful crossings and fentanyl seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Haley and different Republicans argue that extremists could cross the southern border to stage an analogous attack in the U.S. While there’s no public proof that Hamas has infiltrated the U.S. by means of Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security mentioned in a nationwide menace evaluation this 12 months that individuals with “potential terrorism connections” proceed to try to enter the nation.

The Republican subject has lined up behind Israel since Saturday and blamed President Joe Biden for his dealing with of relations with Iran, notably a deal to return American hostages that included a $6 billion switch of seized funds to Tehran. Iran has lengthy supported Hamas, although U.S. officers say there’s no conclusive proof but that Iranian brokers have been concerned in the most up-to-date attack.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott on Tuesday known as for a Senate Banking Committee probe into the funds. A day earlier at a Florida synagogue, Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed state-level sanctions towards Iran for its ongoing help of Hamas.

Since earlier than the conflict, Haley has gone after her rivals on points comparable to U.S. help for Ukraine towards Russia’s invasion and the way Washington offers with China.

In June, Haley criticized Trump for being too pleasant to China throughout his time in workplace, additionally warning that weak help for Ukraine would “only encourage” China to invade Taiwan, a viewpoint shared by a number of of her GOP rivals.

In the first GOP debate in August, she attacked Vivek Ramaswamy’s argument that the U.S. shouldn’t help Ukraine in its protection towards Russia’s invasion, telling the 38-year-old entrepreneur, “You have no foreign policy experience and it shows.”

In September, she critiqued his use of the TikTok video sharing app over issues about its Chinese possession, telling him throughout that debate, “Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say.”

Ramaswamy in flip has labeled Haley a conflict profiteer, saying in August that he wished her “well on your future career on the boards of Lockheed and Raytheon.” Haley has not labored for both protection contractor however did serve on the board of Boeing — the aerospace large with main authorities enterprise — after leaving her ambassador put up.

And, in step with how he treats rivals, Trump has given Haley a nickname, “Birdbrain.” Haley later posted on social media a photograph of a fowl cage that she mentioned was left at her resort room door by Trump allies, including the hashtag, “#PrettyPatheticTryAgain.”

Haley and the others at the GOP debates have tried with little success to dislodge Trump from the high of the subject. Trump has skipped each debates and known as for future occasions to be cancelled.

Haley’s circle of donors and advisers has more and more focused DeSantis in attempting to develop into Trump’s chief rival, in step with the concept of many campaigns {that a} single challenger may have the ability to do extra injury to the former president.

Haley took on DeSantis for his disputes with Disney, saying she’d welcome the flagship leisure firm to South Carolina, which she led as governor for six years. And after DeSantis characterised the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a “ territorial dispute,” Haley mentioned he was displaying “weakness.”

Asked about Haley’s obvious mounting help and fundraising, DeSantis mentioned Monday that he had the higher management file.

“It’s all about, who’s going to be a leader that can come in, make tough decisions, be strong and get things done,” DeSantis mentioned whereas campaigning in Iowa. “As governor, everything I promised, we delivered on.”

On Friday, each campaigns are headed to Texas to court docket deep-pocketed donors as they try to be seen as the Trump various.

Bill Strong, a retired worldwide banker who has been elevating cash for Haley, mentioned potential donors have been discussing Haley’s worldwide expertise as an asset throughout his fundraising calls Monday.

“This underscores, or reemphasizes, the importance that the president of the United States know what they are doing on the world stage,” Strong mentioned. “They have to know the region. They have to know the players. Nikki knows them all extremely well. No one else does. You can argue the former president doesn’t.”

Former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner had been a DeSantis donor however is now contributing to Haley’s marketing campaign for president and inspiring others to comply with go well with.

“She’s positive in the sense that she’s not out criticizing other people constantly or belittling people who disagree with her,” mentioned Rauner, a rich businessman who now lives in Florida. “She’s smart. She’s tough. She’s conservative. She’s a doer. And she’s what I call a happy warrior.”

Haley has drawn larger crowds in Iowa, which kicks off the Republican nominating calendar with its Jan. 15 caucuses, and hopes to get a lift from her dwelling state voters in South Carolina in February.

Her fierce advocacy of Israel was a defining theme for her two years as U.N. ambassador. In 2018, she defended Israel’s use of pressure towards Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza and walked out of a Security Council session as the Palestinian envoy started to talk.

Polling performed previous to Hamas’ attack discovered that 44% of Republicans have been prone to name Israel an ally with shared values, greater than 25% of Democrats or 32% of adults nationally. The ballot was performed in August by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

White evangelical voters are massively influential in Iowa’s GOP caucuses. Evangelicals are additionally key to Israel’s help in the U.S., pushed by a perception that the state of Israel and its Jewish folks fulfill biblical prophecy for the finish instances to happen and a Christian messiah to return.

Haley’s credentials appear to be at the root of some voters’ attraction to her. During Haley’s latest swing by means of Iowa, that have resonated with Linda Marks, a retiree who got here to a Des Moines suburb to see her make her case forward of the leadoff caucuses in January.

“I think she has more foreign relations experience than all of them put together,” Marks, a retired accountant from Windsor Heights, Iowa, mentioned late final month as she waited for Haley to take the stage. “I don’t love everything she says, but there is nothing more important to me than foreign policy.”

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Associated Press reporters Thomas Beaumont in Boone, Iowa, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

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Meg Kinnard will be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP