Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Trump Defends Mocking Nikki Haley's Indian Birth Name Since It's A 'Very Effective Tool'

Donald Trump; Nikki Haley
Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images; Allison Joyce/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The ex-President defended his racist mockery of his GOP rival's birth name, Nimarata, during an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.

Former President Donald Trump was widely criticized after he defended his own racist birther mockery of his Republican rival, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Trump, currently the GOP front-runner, employed derogatory name-calling on his Truth Social platform, referring to Haley as "Nimbra," a twist on her first name, Nimarata, which she has not used since childhood, preferring to go by her middle name, Nikki.


In a Fox News interview with Bret Baier that aired on Sunday, Trump defended his derogatory language, claiming it was a playful "takeoff" on Haley's name:

"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."
"But it’s just a little ... It’s a little bit of a takeoff. I look at her name. I look at a lot of people."
"You know, I do a lot of names for people like [referencing Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren] ‘Pocahontas.'"
“I have fun with it. And sometimes, to tell you the truth, it’s a very effective tool.”

You can hear what Trump said in the video below.

Trump has become widely known for using nicknames to criticize, insult, or otherwise mock media figures, politicians, and foreign leaders regardless of their party affiliation.

Critics, however, have condemned Trump for perpetuating racist attacks, drawing parallels to his past use of former President Barack Obama's middle name, "Hussein," and his mispronunciation of Vice President Kamala Harris' first name.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of racially insensitive remarks by Trump, including his 2019 call for members of the Democratic "squad" to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came." Notably, three out of four "squad" lawmakers were born in the United States, and Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, born in Somalia, became a U.S. citizen in 2000.

In response to Trump's latest attack, Haley maintained her composure during a CNN town hall on Thursday and characterized Trump's name-calling as a tactic he employs when feeling "threatened":

“That’s what he does when he feels insecure. I don’t take these things personally. It doesn’t bother me."
"I know him very well and this is what he does. I know that I am a threat. I know that’s why he’s doing that."
“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."

Many have condemned Trump's words.



Trump's racist mockery came just a couple of weeks after he fueled allegations that Haley is ineligible for the presidency due to her parents' citizenship status at her birth.

The accusation against Haley, who was at one point the Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, originated with the conspiratorial far-right account Gateway Pundit, which Trump shared on his Truth Social account.

The claim suggests she is ineligible for the presidency since her parents weren't U.S. citizens when she was born, despite her birth in South Carolina and lifelong residency in the United States. Her parents became citizens after her birth in 1972.

Legal experts like Laurence Tribe, a Harvard Law School professor emeritus, have dismissed these claims, branding them as baseless, unconstitutional, and seemingly rooted in prejudice against immigrants and people of color.

More from News/2024-election

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less