Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email

       Please enter a valid email address

       Please enter a valid email address

       SIGN UP

       I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

       Thanks for signing up to the

       Inside Washington email

       {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

       Former president Donald Trump is deploying the same racist smear he and his allies attempted to use against former president Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris in recent years by claiming that another of his non-white rivals — former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley — is not eligible to serve as President of the United States.

       On Monday, the disgraced ex-president shared an article from far-right conspiracy site The Gateway Pundit which posited that Ms Haley is not a “natural born citizen” because her parents, Indian immigrants, were not American citizens when she was born in 1972.

       Ms Haley, who served as Mr Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, was born in the United States.

       Under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, any person born within the territory of the United States is a citizen from birth save for the children of foreign diplomats.

       Mr Trump, through an ally, also attempted to deploy the same claim about Ms Harris, whose mother was an Indian immigrant and whose father was Jamaican, during the 2020 election.

       RECOMMENDED

       Trump’s alleged ‘sexual proclivities’ graphically detailed in new Epstein documents

       Undo

       Melania Trump’s mother dies aged 78

       Undo

       Health Insight Journal

       Nеurоpathy Breakthrough: Experts SpeechlessHealth Insight Journal| Sponsored Sponsored

       Undo

       Grishay

       Experience the Perfect Fit: Trendy Bra Designed by a Wise GrandmaGrishay| Sponsored Sponsored

       Undo

       Powered by Taboola Powered by Taboola

       The ally of Mr Trump who posited the false claim, John Eastman, would later attempt to help Mr Trump overturn the 2020 election after the then-president lost to Joe Biden and Ms Harris.

       Promoted stories

       Home Equity Tips

       Homeowners Are Paying Off Debt With Their Equity Without Monthly PaymentsHome Equity Tips Learn More

       Undo

       by Taboola by Taboola

       Sponsored Links Sponsored Links

       Promoted Links Promoted Links

       Additionally, the former president’s rise as a prominent political figure in the Republican Party can be directly traced to his promotion of the false and baseless claim that the first Black president of the United States, Barack Obama, was not a “natural-born citizen” of the country that elected him as its chief executive in 2008.

       In 2011, he told NBC’s Today that he had “real doubts” about Mr Obama’s citizenship, which was acquired at birth when the future 44th president was born in Hawaii in 1961.

       The future 45th president implied that Mr Obama was actually born in Kenya, though under US law that would still have made him a US citizen at birth through his American mother, anthropologist Stanley Ann Dunham.

       He also claimed that he’d paid investigators to go to Hawaii to look into the matter.

       “I have people that actually have been studying it and they cannot believe what they’re finding,” he said at the time.

       Mr Trump also claimed, falsely, that Mr Obama was “hiding” his birth certificate because it allegedly specified that he was a Muslim even though the ex-president is a Christian and American birth certificates do not list a child’s religion.

       Mr Obama later called Mr Trump and others who were perpetuating the false claims about him “carnival barkers” and in April 2011 authorised the release of his long-form birth certificate to quiet the controversy.

       Mr Trump’s promotion of the racist lie about Mr Obama turned him from a prominent television personality into a celebrity in Republican circles, leading him to launch a presidential campaign to succeed Mr Obama in 2015.

       More about Nikki Haley Donald Trump Barack Obama New Hampshire Kamala Harris United States South Carolina

       Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

       Comments

       1/ 1Trump resurrects racist birther smear against Nikki Haley

       Trump resurrects racist birther smear against Nikki Haley

       2024 candidate Donald Trump (left) is narrowing his lead over his political opponent Nikki Haley (right) in New Hampshire, according to new polling

       Getty Images

       CCPA Notice Promoted stories

       Health Headlines

       Why ‘Nature's Adderall’ Is Taking Over The Internet(Buy Online While You Can)Health Headlines| Sponsored Sponsored

       Buy Now

       Undo

       Investing Outlook

       Elon Musk’s “Project Dojo” Could Be HugeA top Wall Street firm predicts that Elon Musk’s latest project could send shares rocketing 80% higher. But this is so much bigger than Tesla.Investing Outlook| Sponsored Sponsored

       Learn More

       Undo

       Gundry MD

       Heart Surgeon: If You Eat Avocado Everyday, This Is What HappensIn this free informative presentation, Dr. Gundry shares a powerful tip to slimming down.Gundry MD| Sponsored Sponsored

       Learn More

       Undo

       Read More Comments

       Collapse Comments

       ？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

       Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

       Subscribe

       Already subscribed? Log in