(VitalNews.org) – Tim Scott, the Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina senator, has criticized his GOP rivals over what he says are weaknesses in their foreign policy. Speaking at the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C., he raised questions around the effectiveness of their approaches to conflict around the world. This public critique marks a change in approach by Scott who has previously avoided any direct criticism of his fellow party members’ foreign policy in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
In the wake of the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ recent attacks on Israel, Scott spoke out against both Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis, both of whom he referred to as the “Joe Biden wing” of the party which regards to foreign policy. He quoted DeSantis’s previous reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute” and raised Ramaswamy’s stated desire to reduce aid to Israel. He also accused Ramaswamy of being happy to “surrender Taiwan to the Chinese” as long as the US can purchase semi-conductors, an important Taiwanese export, from factories sited elsewhere.
A spokesperson from Ramaswamy fiercely rebuked Scott’s comments, claiming that his words were merely an attempt to gain some relevance in the presidential race. Ramaswamy’s campaign team have reiterated his support for Israel, and his website states that he would only withdraw aid from Israel should it tell America that aid is no longer necessary. His campaign also said that he supports Taiwan.
DeSantis’ campaign team has not yet responded directly to Scott’s remarks, but the Florida governor has spoken about his preferred approach to overseas conflict on several occasions. He has spoken of the need to utilize America’s domestic fuel reserves and to reject Biden’ Green Deal, which he says plays into Russian and Iranian hands. He believes that the US should work towards greater fuel independence in order to avoid relying on foreign and hostile powers for fuel. He has criticized Biden’s recent handling of an Iranian hostage crisis, in which the President released $6 billion to Iran in exchange for several American citizens’ freedom. De Santis has also expressed concerns over the US funding Ukraine since Russia invaded in early 2022.
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