Haley calls Trump ‘threatened’ and ‘insecure’ over ‘birther’ claims

Indian American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has called her rival Donald Trump “threatened” and “insecure” over the former president spreading “birther” conspiracies and launching racist attacks against her.

“I know President Trump well. That’s what he does when he feels threatened, that’s what he does when he feels insecure,” she told CNN during a town hall event Thursday.

Haley was asked to respond to two recent attacks made against her by her former boss and current Republican presidential frontrunner: First, Trump spreading an article saying Haley is ineligible to run for president because her parents were not US citizens when Haley was born; and second, his reference to Haley by her given name, Nimarata, which he misspelled in his Truth Social post attacking her. (Haley’s middle name is Nikki).

Nikki Haley, Trump tied in New Hampshire poll (January 18, 2024)

“Well, first, I am the proud daughter of Bamberg, South Carolina, so I love my sweet town and I’m proud to say I’m from there. So, that’s the first question, we can throw that out the window,” Haley told CNN’s Jake Tapper, who acknowledged that Haley is eligible to run for president.

Expounding upon Trump’s post, the former US ambassador to UN said Trump’s race-baiting broadside “doesn’t bother me.”

“I know that I am a threat. I know that’s why he’s doing that,” she said. “So it’s not going to waste any energy from me. I’m going to continue to focus on the things that people want to talk about and not get into the name-calling back with him.”

Haley’s campaign this week has put out videos trolling Trump, as well as ones featuring flattering things he said about Haley when she worked for his administration.

Both she and her campaign have made clear that Haley, despite failing to surpass Florida Gov Ron DeSantis for second place in Iowa, is proceeding as if Trump is her only remaining rival.

Nikki Haley, Trump tied in New Hampshire poll (January 18, 2024)

Meanwhile, Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has condemned Trump’s promotion of false birther claims and asked any Republican supporting the South Asian community to “condemn this rhetoric.”

“It’s sadly no surprise that Donald Trump is back at it with more false and racist ‘birther’ claims,” he stated in response to the former president’s questioning Haley’s eligibility to serve as President or Vice President.

“As a proud Indian American immigrant, the hateful attacks the former president is launching against Nikki Haley are all too familiar to me. Any Republican who claims to support the South Asian community should condemn this rhetoric,” he added.

Haley, born in South Carolina to Indian immigrant parents, is a natural-born US citizen, which qualifies her for the presidency under the US Constitution.

The allegations against Haley are reminiscent of similar statements made by Trump in the past against political adversaries such as Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.

Over ten years ago, Trump raised questions over the birthplace of former President Barack Obama. In 2020, Trump similarly endorsed ‘birther’ allegations against then-vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.