Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday she did not watch Donald Trump’s foreign policy speech.
“I have to confess, Chris, I did not listen to it because I was here doing my work in the Senate,” the New Hampshire senator told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on New Day. “I will have to listen to it, but I was busy doing other work.”
Trump’s speech Wednesday was themed “America First” and in it, the business mogul pledged to always put the U.S.’s economic and policy interests first, and that U.S. allies would have to become less dependent on the United States.
“I believe that having a strong military, and making sure America supports it’s friends and allies, and continues to be a leader around the world is important for the defense of this nation,” Ayotte, a foreign policy hawk, when pressed by Cuomo whether she thought Trump’s speech was too simple and isolationist.
Ayotte faces a tough reelection race against sitting New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat. When asked whether she was concerned about the business mogul becoming the presidential nominee, Ayotte said she was not focused on the presidential race.
“I’m going to be focused on serving the people of New Hampshire,” said Ayotte, who has also said she plans on staying in New Hampshire to campaign rather than attending the GOP convention in July. “And I think New Hampshire understands my race is about who’s going to be their voice here in the Senate to get things done for the people of our state.
Ayotte also touted her support for a G.I. funding bill, though criticized some proposed cuts to it made by the House.
“They assign their education benefits and their housing benefits to their children or spouse, and they cut that the housing piece by 50% for a veterans bill they did. I think it is wrong,” Ayotte said.