Republicans Shocked After Discovering Nikki Haley’s Real Name
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA — Republicans were taken aback when they learned presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s real name.
After former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called for name verification on all social media profiles last week, Republicans learned that she had not been honest about her own name.
During an appearance on the Ruthless Podcast, Haley argued that misinformation is a “national security threat,” blaming Big Tech for allowing Russia, China, Iran and North Korea to divide Americans.
“They are giving the narrative to the American people, so you’ve got college kids everywhere on campuses thinking that they are fighting the occupation of Gaza,” Haley said. “There are no Israelis in Gaza. There are no Jewish people in Gaza. There is only Hamas in Gaza.”
“MORE CONFUSED THAN EVER”
But Republicans were shocked to discover that, amid her call for transparency, Haley’s campaign has quietly kept her birth name – Nimarata Randhawa – from the American people during three debates and her recent rise in early-state polls.
“I liked the way Nikki Haley confidently handled herself during the debates,” Robyn McDaniel, a middle school history teacher, told The Florida Standard. “But after finding out that her real name is Nimarata, I’m more confused than ever.”
McDaniel doesn’t understand why Nikki hasn’t been candid about her real name. Haley’s GOP rival Vivek Ramaswamy has not been shy about his identity, telling voters he’s proud of his Indian cultural heritage while underscoring that he is “an American first.”
Conversely, Haley has neglected to publicly celebrate her roots and the story of her parents' immigration to the U.S. from Amritsar, Punjab, India.
McDaniel – ardently seeking to learn more about the GOP presidential hopefuls – says Haley’s southern drawl gave her a different impression.
“Is she trying to hide something?” McDaniel said. “She seems much more shady to me now.”
PUSHBACK FROM GOP RIVALS
Elon Musk, the CEO of X, mocked Haley over her proposal for social media platforms. “Super messed up,” he posted. “She can stop pretending to run for president now.”
On CNBC’s Squawk Box, Haley tried to clarify that she was not asking for a ban on Americans posting anonymously on social media sites. But her remarks were instantly met with pushback from her GOP rivals.
Ramaswamy, a big proponent of free speech, called Haley’s proposal “disgusting” and a “flagrant violation of the Constitution and straight out of the Democrats’ playbook.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Glenn Beck’s Program that “forcing disclosure of names and registration, that’s what China has done… that is totally inappropriate for the United States of America.”
“I wasn’t surprised she said it because I think that’s who she is. But it was totally out of bounds of what would be acceptable in the Republican Party,” DeSantis added.
“VOTERS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW”
While McDaniel says she believes Americans have a right to free speech, including anonymous accounts on social media, she feels presidential candidates should be clear about who they really are, noting that “voters have a right to know who they are electing as the Republican Party nominee.”
Haley is battling DeSantis for second place in early-voting states. After gaining momentum from the first two debates, Haley tied with DeSantis in the latest Des Moines Register/NBC poll, published after the first two debates but before the third debate.
On Friday, DeSantis’ campaign launched a website, “Who is the real Nikki Haley?” highlighting the former U.N. Ambassador’s record, claiming she “isn’t the conservative she says she is” and has been “supportive of every liberal cause under the sun.”