Nikki Haley: America needs to 'stop our national self-loathing'

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley indicated during a speech on Tuesday that America's "national self-loathing" needs to end.

"The barbarians of the world fear nothing more than a confident and strong United States with the courage of our convictions. The most important mission of our time is to stop our national self-loathing and to regain our courage and renew our convictions," Haley said during her remarks at the Reagan Library in California.

"A large portion of our people are plagued by self doubt or even by hatred of America. It's a pandemic much more damaging than any virus. Every day more people think living in the land of the free is a curse, not a blessing," she said.

"Nowadays we're told our founding principles are tools of oppression. We're told the world's freest and most prosperous country is no better than any other. In fact, we're told it's worse. Well if that's the case, why did so many Haitians gather under the bridge in Texas last month? They didn't come here because America is evil. They came here because America is free," she said.

Haley, who has also previously served as the governor of South Carolina, said "anger toward America is now the bedrock belief of the American left."

"Democrats have given up on America as a colorblind society. They see America's flaws as more profound than its strengths. They deny the massive progress we've made and they punish anyone who disagrees. They are quick to praise those who attack America and eager to attack those who praise America," she declared.

Haley said that without conviction in the nation's cause and principles, the U.S. will dissolve from within.

"More than anything else we must restore America's moral courage," she said. "We need the confidence that our cause is just and our principles are true. If we lose that we lose everything. We won't have the will to win the fight between freedom and tyranny. America will destroy itself from the inside and our enemies won't even have to lift a finger."

"The sooner we lead a new awakening of patriotism, the quicker we'll stop the decaying belief that our country is systemically racist. The sooner we rekindle faith in our first principles, the faster we'll make even more progress towards justice for all. Most of all, by restoring belief in the goodness of our nation and our national cause we'll prepare the county to beat the challenges of the 21st century. Only a confident and a proud America can win the clash of civilizations," Haley said.

Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the UN during a portion of President Donald Trump's tenure in office, is widely regarded as a Republican who may eventually mount a presidential bid.

"In the beginning of 2023, should I decide that there's a place for me, should I decide that there's a reason to move, I would pick up the phone and meet with the president," she said, according to the Wall Street Journal. "I would talk to him and see what his plans are. I would tell him about my plans. We would work on it together."

Onstage at the Reagan Library with Ambassador Nikki Haleywww.youtube.com