One of the lesser-known Democratic US presidential candidates has said the first thing she would do if she became president would be to call Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Democratic presidential hopeful US author Marianne Williamson speaks during the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign. Photo: AFP / Saul Loeb
Marianne Williamson was one of 10 Democrats who took the stage in Miami on Friday in the second candidates debate.
She was on stage with a number of the race's front-runners, former Vice-President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
According to her website the 66-year old from Houston is a spirtual author, motivational speaker and activist.
She is also the co-founder of the Peace Alliance, an organisation dedicated to restoring peace to national discourse and foreign policy.
During what was a feisty debate, candidates were asked how they would address climate change, end gun violence or cut taxes for the middle class.
While most of her Democratic debate rivals offered specific proposals when asked by moderator Chuck Todd what issue they would push first as president, Ms Williamson suggested phoning an ally.
"My first call is to the prime minister of New Zealand, who said that her goal is to make New Zealand the best place in the world for a child in the world to grow up."
"And I will tell her 'girlfriend, you are so on, because the United States of America is going to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up'."
When asked about the first issue they'd tackle if elected president, Marianne Williamson said she'd call New Zealand's prime minister to say "the United States of America is going to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up" https://t.co/THE0z1clIy #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/0oFVTC4ddb
— CNN (@CNN) June 28, 2019
"@jacindaardern has said that she wants New Zealand to be the country that is the best country in the world for a child to grow up. And I want to call her and say girlfriend you are on because I want the United States to be that too." #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/JpfVaQ06Yt
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) June 28, 2019
Ms Williamson also ended her debate with a message for Donald Trump about love.
"Mr President, if you're listening I want you to hear me, please," she said. "You've harnessed fear for political purposes and only love can cast that out. So I have a feeling you know what you're doing. I'm going to harness love for political purposes. I will meet you on that field, and sir, love will win."
Ms Williamson's unique performance is getting a lot of attention from political commentators and on social media.
She told reporters the other candidates were all lovely people and she didn't really rate her performance.
"It was a tough situation and I'm going to practice up on elbowing my way in," she said.
