Donald Trump Defends Making Fun of Nikki Haley's Real Name While Undermining Her With This Line
Former President Donald Trump is standing by his recent playful statement about GOP primary contender Nikki Haley's birth name. The leading figure in the GOP race called her "Nimbra" on his Truth Social platform, a creative spin on her actual first name, Nimarata. Notably, Haley has long been known by her middle name, Nikki, since her early years, as highlighted by HuffPost. Trump had previously also referred to her as "Nimrada" as well. Adding to the situation, he emphasized that he was just having fun. However, it's worth noting that he also made a false claim questioning Haley's eligibility for the presidency, suggesting she wasn't born in the United States.
Hailing from South Carolina, the ex-United Nations ambassador eventually rose to the role of governor in her home state. Advancing in the narrative, during a Sunday interview with Fox News's Bret Baier, Trump was probed about the nickname "Nimbra" that he used in a social media post for the former U.N. ambassador. To this, Trump replied, "I do that with a lot of people, like Hutchinson. I mean, he was polling at zero for about one year, and I called him rather than Asa, I called him Ada Hutchinson and it just felt good to me. And with her, it's just something that came. It's a little bit of a takeoff on her name. You know, her name, wherever she may come from," as reported by ABC News.
Nimarata Nikki Randhawa, now known as ‘Nikki Haley’, entered the world to Punjabi Sikh parents who had migrated from India to South Carolina in the 1960s. Haley has shared that she initially embraced her middle name as her first and later adopted her husband's surname upon marriage. Meanwhile, critics have slammed Trump for what they perceive as an extension of his history of racist remarks, drawing parallels between his jabs at Haley and his use of Barack Obama's middle name, "Hussein." Trump's campaign, however, vehemently rejected the accusation that his recent comments about Haley carried any racial undertones.
In a statement, Steven Cheung, spokesperson for the Trump campaign, remarked, "There are no racist undertones, as some suggest, Sounds like those who take offense are engaging in fake outrage. They should get a life and live in the real world." In a CNN town hall on Thursday, when questioned about the name-calling, Haley commented that it's a strategy the ex-president employs when he senses a threat. She said, “So it’s not going to waste any energy for 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."
Furthermore, Trump has also pronounced Vice President Kamala Harris' first name incorrectly on multiple occasions. The campaigns of both Trump and Haley were actively seeking to connect with voters for the New Hampshire GOP primary. This poses a significant challenge for Haley, as she remains Trump's sole standing GOP primary rival, yet continues to lag in polls compared to the former president. When questioned about Trump's unfounded birther allegations, several former GOP presidential candidates, now endorsing Trump, refrained from disapproving the comments.
