Trump mocks Nikki Haley’s first name. It’s his latest example of attacking rivals based on race

By BILL BARROW
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump is using his social media platform to mock Nikki Haley. In a post on his Truth Social account Friday, Trump repeatedly referred to Haley, the daughter of immigrants from India, as “Nimbra.” Haley, the former South Carolina governor, was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, as Nimarata Nikki Randhawa. Trump has a long history of using race and ethnicity for attacks. Haley has always gone by her middle name, “Nikki.” She took the surname “Haley” upon her marriage in 1996. The attack comes four days before the New Hampshire primary, in which Haley is trying to establish herself as the only viable Trump alternative in Republicans’ 2024 nominating contest.