Washington: Indian American leader Nikki Haley hit back at former US president Donald Trump over his remarks questioning the former UN Ambassador’s eligibility to run as president.
“I know Trump well. He gets into name calling when he feels threatened and insecure. I’m not going to waste any energy on that,” Haley posted on X (formerly Twitter).
This comes after Trump launched a new series of attacks on Haley on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump misspelt Haley’s first name, ‘Nimarata’ as ‘Nimrada’ and also questioned her eligibility to run for president due to her parents’ citizenship status at the time of her birth.
“Anyone listening to Nikki ‘Nimrada’ Haley’s wacked out speech last night, would think that she won the Iowa Primary. She didn’t, and she couldn’t even beat a very flawed Ron DeSanctimonious, who’s out of money, and out of hope,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The former President also amplified a post that falsely claimed Haley was ineligible to run for president because her parents were not US citizens at the time of her birth, according to CNN. Haley was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, and is a US citizen.
Notably, these attacks are similar to Trump’s smears against former President Barack Obama. Trump was a “chief promoter of the racist lie” that Obama was not born in the US and was ineligible to be president. Trump also regularly emphasizes Obama’s middle name, ‘Hussein’, at campaign rallies, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, in the Iowa caucuses, Trump won 20 out of the 40 delegates from Iowa with 56,250 votes — a whopping difference of around 32,840 votes.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came a distant second with eight delegates and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley finishing not much behind with seven delegates as the contest moves to New Hampshire, where the latter enjoys some clout.
The intensifying battle between Trump and Haley in New Hampshire reflects a critical moment in the Republican primary race. Trump seeks a decisive victory, aiming to wrap up the nomination early with strong showings in the early-voting states.
However, Haley’s rise, particularly among moderate voters, poses a challenge to Trump’s front-runner status. As Trump increases his campaign schedule and continues aggressive attacks on Haley, the New Hampshire primary on January 23 becomes a pivotal battleground.
The CNN poll indicates a narrowing lead for Trump, particularly among self-identified moderate voters. (ANI)
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