Haley at CPAC: Don't 'put down socialism, defend capitalism'

Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is calling on conservatives to "defend capitalism" rather than "put down socialism," as voter support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders rises.

"Who ever would have thought that a self-avowed socialist would be the poster child for the Democratic Party?" Haley said about Sanders on Wednesday evening at the start of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, outside of Washington, D.C.

"They’ve forgotten what I learned at the United Nations, which was every socialist country that we ever came in contact with wanted to be in America," Haley said about disaffected voters and other Sanders supporters across the United States.

She said people living in those countries, "wanted what we had. They wanted freedom of religion. They wanted freedom of speech. They wanted freedom. And what we know is capitalism is the best force to lift people out of poverty in the history of the world." 

Sanders, a Vermont Independent and self-described democratic-socialist running on the Democratic Party ticket, is campaigning on a platform that promises free health care and higher education. 

Haley said President Trump has "brought capitalism back," citing low unemployment and food stamp rolls at a record low rate.

“The economy is stronger," she also said at the start of the four-day event. "The stock market is doing better and retirees are benefiting from it — that’s capitalism."

Haley urged Republicans to “defend capitalism” the next time somebody says they want “the kinder, gentler socialism” from other countries.

“Don’t go and put down socialism, defend capitalism because capitalism is freedom and if you want freedom in our country, you will fight for capitalism every day of the week,” she said. “We have the facts on our side. We have the right president on our side.”