Nikki Haley calls talk show host 'racist' for claiming she doesn't use her Indian name

Nikki Haley was called a "chameleon" by Sunny Hostin for apparently not using her Indian name.

American diplomat Nikki Haley slammed “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin for branding her a chameleon as she apparently doesn’t use her Indian name.

On Tuesday’s episode of the popular talk show, Hostin told her fellow hosts that Haley, a former UN ambassador does not use her Indian name “Nimrata” to appease Republican voters.

“There are some of us that can be chameleons and decide not to embrace our ethnicity so that we can pass…,” Hostin was heard saying when one of her co-hosts cut in with a smile and said: “I don’t think that’s far, you go by a different name.”

“Most Americans can’t pronounce Asunción,” came the rebuttal from Sunny. Asunción is her given name. Hostin’s parents are of Puerto Rican and African origin.

Many on Twitter slammed Hostin for being “racist” and calling her out for not using her own given name.

Soon came a response from the person at the centre of the controversy – Nikki Haley. Calling Hostin "racist", Haley clarified that Nikki is an Indian name and is also on her birth certificate and pointed out that Hostin doesn't user her birth name.

“Thanks for your concern Sunny. It's racist of you to judge my name. Nikki is an Indian name and is on my birth certificate—and I'm proud of that. What's sad is the left's hypocrisy towards conservative minorities. By the way, last I checked Sunny isn't your birth name,” Haley wrote on Twitter with a short clip from the show.

Thanks for your concern @Sunny. It's racist of you to judge my name.

Nikki is an Indian name and is on my birth certificate—and I'm proud of that.

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What's sad is the left's hypocrisy towards conservative minorities.

By the way, last I checked Sunny isn't your birth name… pic.twitter.com/NI3KZXjD6F

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) September 20, 2022

Nikki Haley (married name) was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to Punjabi Sikh immigrant parents in the US and served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Nations for two years under the Trump presidency.