Entrepreneur Vivkek Ramaswamy held up a handmade sign during the fourth Republican presidential debate targeting former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
When asked by the debate moderators why Ramaswamy seemingly took shots at Haley, who is also an American-Indian, and why he refused to call her Nikki and instead called her by her given name, Nimarata, Ramaswamy revealed he questioned her âauthenticity.â
âMy whole deal is if Nikki Haley of all people should know how to pronounce my name correctly, the rest of the news media can learn it,â Ramaswamy explained. âMy deal is, Iâll call her Nikki when she can say my own name right, and thatâs our little fun side bet there.â
Watch the video below:
Ramaswamy continued to add that he didnât question Haleyâs Christian faith, but rather questioned her âauthenticity.â
Born Nimarata Randhawa to Sikh parents, Haley ended up converting from Sikhism to Christianity and began using her middle name, Nikki, according to NBC News.
âI think thatâs deeper here,â Ramaswamy continued. âWe were just talking about the trans issue, this is a symptom of a deeper cancer in American life: identity Politics. This new religion that says your race, your gender and your sexuality are your identity. It is anti-American.â
Ramaswamy continued to compare Haleyâs campaign launch video to having sounded like a âwoke, Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light ad.â
âAt the first debate, she said only a woman can get this job done. Thatâs what she said,â Ramaswamy continued. âAfter the third debate, when I criticized Ronna McDaniel after five failed years of leadership of this party and criticized Nikki for her corrupt foreign dealings as a military contractor, she said that I have a woman problem.â
As Ramaswamy addressed his comments to Haley he told her, âNikki, I donât have a woman problem. You have a corruption problem and I think thatâs what people need to know,â as he held up a handmade sign with the words, âNikki = Corruptâ written on it.
