GOP presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley appeared on NBC’s "Meet the Press" Sunday and said that the Hamas terror attacks against Israel show that “America needs to wake up.”

The former ambassador to the United Nations warned that we can’t let another 9/11 happen:

We don’t need to wait for another 9/11. You also look at the fact that, Kristen, America is incredibly distracted and incredibly divided and when America’s distracted the world is less safe. 

And look at what happened to Israel. They waited for them to be distracted and that’s when your enemies move in. America needs to wake up.

Watch:

Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Iranian backers—they hate Israel and they hate America.

We can't be distracted. We have to remember that what happened to Israel could happen here in America. pic.twitter.com/RKuNzcCkoh

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 8, 2023

She also warned that President Joe Biden’s disastrous southern border policies have put America at risk:

“I have been terribly worried about the fact that Iran has said the easiest way to get into America is through the southern border. We have an open border. People are coming through; they’re not being vetted,” Haley said.

“Israel is the front line of defense for the Iranian regime and terrorists that want to hurt us and want to hurt our friends and we need to be honest with the American people about that,” she added later.

WATCH: @NikkiHaley says she wants the people to know that Hamas was chanting “death to Israel; death to America” after Saturday’s attack.

“What happened to Israel could happen here. ... Iran has said the easiest way to get into America is through the southern border.” pic.twitter.com/e2w9Dyucvb

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 8, 2023

Although Haley still trails former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Don DeSantis in the polls, her numbers have been rising since the last GOP debate in late September where many thought she delivered a strong performance.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also appeared on “Meet the Press” Sunday, and as my colleague Nick Arama reported, failed to acknowledge that the recent freeing of $6 billion to Iran in exchange for American hostages was a bad move. Haley:

I actually think it was irresponsible for Secretary Blinken to say that the $6 billion dollars doesn't weigh in here. I mean, let's be honest with the American people, and understand that.

Hamas knows and Iran knows they're moving money around as we speak, because they know $6 billion is going to be released. That's the reality.

As I reported Saturday night, both the Israeli and U.S. intelligence services were caught flat-footed by the attacks and seemingly had no idea they were in the works. Haley didn’t think now was the moment to address that:

 Well, I think that there will be a time and place to deal with whether it was an intelligence failure. I think right now what I want the American people to know is just imagine the Israeli people woke up to seeing their own citizens dragged in the streets, the elderly, children, women taken as hostages, whole families murdered.

She made a strong case that the U.S. needs to stand in solidarity with Israel:

We are united with Israel, because we are united – because both Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Iranian backers, they hate us. And we have to remember that what happened to Israel could happen here in America, and I hope that we all unite and stand with Israel, because they really need us right now.