Conservative News Site Slammed For 'Race-Baiting' Post About Nikki Haley
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A conservative website has been accused of racist dog-whistling after it posted a bizarre poll about Nikki Haley’s background.
“Did you know that Nikki Haley’s parents are immigrants from India and her birth name is Nimarata Randhawa?” The Florida Standard posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.
The site, which has a small following of just under 7,700 followers on X, is known for its flattering coverage of and friendly relationship with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is battling to keep his place ahead of Haley in the Republican presidential race.
Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, was given the name Nimarata Nikki Randhawa at birth. She has not hidden this fact. She married Michael Haley, and has reportedly gone by her middle name Nikki since childhood.
A community note added to the Florida Standard’s post pointed this out.
Haley has repeatedly invoked her Indian heritage during her campaign, albeit while downplaying the existence of deep-rooted racism in the U.S. She has faced numerousracist attacks and questions about her name throughout her political career.
The Florida Standard also published an article Tuesday headlined “Republicans Shocked After Discovering Nikki Haley’s Real Name.” It accused Haley of being “less than candid about her own identity” after she recently called for all social media users to be verified by name online.
The site’s tweet was viewed more than 2 million times, earning pushback from prominent figures on social media.
“This is a race-baiting question in search of a racist answer,” wrote Cornell William Brooks, a Harvard professor and former president of the NAACP.
Olivia Troye, a former aide to ex-Vice President Mike Pence, wrote: “Yes. We know. It’s actually wonderful that Nikki Haley’s parents are immigrants. What’s your point other than backing far right racist tropes? Oh. Right. You’re scared that she’s gaining momentum.”
CNN’s Jake Tapper had a shorter assessment, writing, “Wtf is this.”
The Florida Standard did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.
