Nikki Haley weighs in on whether Trump mocking her name was racist in 'Breakfast Club' interview

WASHINGTON — Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in an interview Wednesday sidestepped addressing whether ex-President Donald Trump mocking her birth name was racist.

In a post on Truth Social earlier this month, Trump repeatedly referred to Haley, whose birth name is Nimarata Nikki Randhawa, as “Nimbra.”

The former president defended his language in an interview with Fox News Bret Baier, arguing that he has nicknames for his rivals and that it is an “effective tool” as he seeks the Republican nomination.

When co-host Charlamagne tha God asked, “Do you think Trump mocking your birth name was racist?” on the morning show “The Breakfast Club,” Haley said, “I mean, I think we can let other people decide that.”

“I think you look at it and it’s kind of like the Tim Scott, ‘you sleep with yourself.’ I mean, we’ll let Donald Trump sleep with that all that he wants,” she added.

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Trump had previously falsely claimed that Haley isn’t eligible to be president because her parents weren’t U.S. citizens when she was born. Haley was born in 1972 in the U.S., making her eligible for the presidency.

Haley has previously sidestepped questions about whether Trump's mockery of her name is racist, telling a press gaggle in Amherst, New Hampshire earlier this month, "I'll let people decide what he means by his attacks. What we know is, look, he's clearly insecure."

Trump used a similar tactic with former President Barack Obama more than a decade ago, where he promoted a false conspiracy theory that Obama was born in Kenya. Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1961.

Haley is currently trailing Trump by over 50% in a RealClearPolitics polling average. Though she failed to place first in the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary, Haley's made clear she plans to stay in the race.

The Breakfast Club, where Haley was featured Wednesday, is a hip-hop themed talk show popular with a relatively young and racially diverse audience.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikki Haley sidesteps addressing whether Trump mocking her birth name was racist