The war between Israel and Hamas is testing the Republican Party’s isolationist shift
FILE - Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks with reporters after signing papers to get on the Republican presidential primary ballot at the New Hampshire Statehouse, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, in Concord, N.H. The Republican Party鈥檚 White House hopefuls are offering conflicting messages on the growing foreign policy challenges. A presidential election that has long been centered on domestic kitchen-table issues is suddenly shifting its focus abroad with the Israel-Hamas war.
FILE - Republican Presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Politics & Eggs program at Saint Anselm College, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. The Republican Party鈥檚 White House hopefuls are offering conflicting messages on the growing foreign policy challenges. A presidential election that has long been centered on domestic kitchen-table issues is suddenly shifting its focus abroad with the Israel-Hamas war.
FILE - Former President Donald Trump addresses an audience during a campaign event, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, in Wolfeboro, N.H. The Republican Party鈥檚 White House hopefuls are offering conflicting messages on the growing foreign policy challenges. A presidential election that has long been centered on domestic kitchen-table issues is suddenly shifting its focus abroad with the Israel-Hamas war.
FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the New Hampshire Republican Party's First In The Nation Leadership Summit Saturday, Oct 14, 2023, in Nashua, N.H. The Republican Party鈥檚 White House hopefuls are offering conflicting messages on the growing foreign policy challenges. A presidential election that has long been centered on domestic kitchen-table issues is suddenly shifting its focus abroad with the Israel-Hamas war.
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) 鈥 Nikki Haley vowed to stand with Israel 鈥渆very step of the way.鈥 She promised to 鈥渄ecimate鈥 the Iranian economy. And she called for continued funding for Ukraine as it fights to repel the Russian invasion.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a dangerous world right now,鈥 Haley told Republican primary voters gathered inside New Hampshire鈥檚 American Legion Post No. 7 as a new war raged in the Middle East. 鈥淎nd this is gonna get messier before it gets better.鈥
Less than 24 hours later, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told New Hampshire business leaders that the United States should stop funding Ukraine until there is a clear strategy. He was more focused on what he saw as a threat posed by foreign nationals at the U.S.-Mexico border. And Israel, he said, has a right to defend itself.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 going to be a lot we even need to do militarily,鈥 DeSantis said of the war between Israel with Hamas. 鈥淲e may have to provide some additional support like we鈥檝e traditionally done, but I think mostly it鈥檚 just the moral clarity to say, 鈥楾hey don鈥檛 have to live like this.'鈥
The Republican Party鈥檚 White House hopefuls are offering conflicting messages on the mounting foreign policy challenges as a presidential election long centered on domestic kitchen-table issues suddenly shifts its focus abroad. The rapidly evolving dynamics are testing the limits of the GOP鈥檚 drift toward an isolationist foreign policy and threaten to undermine the party鈥檚 broader argument that Democratic President Joe Biden has mismanaged U.S. relationships with the rest of the world.
Republican primary voters across New Hampshire who pelted Republican presidential candidates with foreign policy questions this past week are hungry for better answers.
鈥淭his God-awful international situation is calling for a rational voice. That chair sits empty right now,鈥 said Tom Rath, a former New Hampshire attorney general who attended DeSantis鈥 Friday appearance at St. Anselm College, where the first three questions focused on foreign policy.
The war is a stark reminder of how the GOP has shifted away from more traditional Republicans such as Rath over the past two decades. Former President George W. Bush, whose administration was defined in large part by its failures in the Iraq War, recently described himself as 鈥渒ind of a hard-liner.鈥 In video obtained by Axios, he said the Biden administration鈥檚 response to the Israel-Hamas conflict has 鈥渟tarted off on the right foot.鈥
But under former President Donald Trump鈥檚 leadership, the GOP has moved sharply away from its long-standing support for a muscular foreign policy. In last fall鈥檚 midterm elections, for example, 56% of voters for Republican candidates said the U.S. should take a less active role in world affairs, according to AP VoteCast.
Haley, who was Trump鈥檚 ambassador to the United Nations, has emerged as the representative for the GOP鈥檚 old guard, calling for the 鈥渢he end鈥 of Hamas and an aggressive response to Israel鈥檚 enemies, including Iran. On the other side among her 2024 rivals, DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, backed by conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, favor a more cautious 鈥淎merica First鈥 approach.
Trump, the front-runner in the Republican primary, has confused the issue with an inconsistent message fueled by personal grievance.
In a rambling speech last week, Trump said Israel鈥檚 prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, 鈥渓et us down鈥 just before the U.S. killed a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in 2020. Trump also said Israeli leaders needed to 鈥渟tep up their game鈥 and he referred to Hezbollah, which Israel fears may launch a large-scale attack from the country鈥檚 north, as 鈥渧ery smart.鈥 In an interview that aired Thursday, Trump said Netanyahu 鈥渨as not prepared鈥 for the Hamas incursion from Gaza.
On Sunday, Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Trump should not have criticized the Israeli foreign minister at this moment.
鈥淭hat was a huge mistake,鈥 Graham said on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥 鈥淚f I were President Trump I鈥檇 talk about being the strongest president for Israel in modern times.鈥
Trump鈥檚 team finished the week in damage control mode, sending out statements that highlighted his past support for Israel. Trump himself joined the effort as he insisted the attack never would have happened had he won the 2020 election and he praised Israeli soldiers.
鈥淚 have always been impressed by the skill and determination of the Israeli Defence Forces. As they defend their Nation against ruthless terrorists, I want to wish every soldier the best of luck. May you return home safely to your families, and may God bless you all!鈥 Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
Meanwhile, some Republican primary voters don鈥檛 like what they鈥檙e hearing from their party鈥檚 presidential hopefuls.
鈥淣ow, more than ever, is when I feel like we need a strong leader in the White House. Biden ain鈥檛 it. Trump ain鈥檛 it,鈥 said Michele Woonton, a 58-year-old retired nurse who attended a DeSantis appearance at the New Hampshire Statehouse this past week.
Woonton, who said she would consider voting for independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. if Trump wins the Republican nomination, was particularly upset about Trump鈥檚 initial reaction to the attack on Israel.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need somebody who can鈥檛 control his emotions,鈥 Woonton said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not saying he wasn鈥檛 a good president. But he鈥檚 too immature. 鈥 This is not the kind of kind of leader we need in a time of war.鈥
Bruce Wilson, a 76-year-old Army veteran from Alton, said he wants to see the Republican Party get back to its roots with a stronger approach to foreign affairs. He lamented the influence of Trump鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥 movement on multiple issues.
鈥淭he party got in bed (with Trump) and now they鈥檙e living with the consequences,鈥 said Wilson, who attended Haley鈥檚 town hall meeting at the American Legion. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to see a leader with more conviction.鈥
The next day at St. Anselm College, Dave Lundgren, a Republican state representative who has endorsed DeSantis, said he鈥檚 also worried about the GOP鈥檚 drift toward isolationism.
鈥淚 think we need to go in and spank somebody,鈥 he said of the U.S. response to Hamas鈥 attack on Israel, suggesting that U.S. special forces get involved, at least to help rescue kidnapped Americans. 鈥淩epublicans are weak right now and we need a strong leader that is going to put us back to No. 1 in the world. We鈥檝e been there before. We鈥檙e not there now.鈥
Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York and AP polling director Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report.