Politico accuses Nikki Haley of 'complicated racial dance,' says she has 'fraught relationship with race'

Politico took aim at Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley over what it dubbed her "complicated racial dance" throughout her political career.

Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former ambassador to the U.N., officially launched her bid for the presidency on Tuesday, making her the first GOP challenger of former President Trump.

In its "Recast" newsletter, which focuses "how race and identity are shaping politics, policy and power," Politico acknowledged the historic nature of Haley's candidacy as the first Asian American woman to seek the Republican nomination, saying, "No doubt Haley, born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa, is a trailblazer."

"The only thing more fraught than her relationship with Trump is the one she has with race," Politco wrote after outlining Haley's ups and downs with the former president. 

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After noting that Haley was the governor who appointed Republican Tim Scott to the U.S. Senate in 2013 and ordered the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse following the 2015 massacre at a Black church, Politico claimed "there are other parts of her biography and political record that are a bit more difficult to reconcile."

"In 2001, for example, she reportedly listed her race as ‘White’ on her voter registration card, three years before she entered into elective politics. (Haley has never publicly addressed her reasons for doing so.)" Politico wrote, citing a 2011 report from South Carolina's The Post and Courier newspaper. 

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The report quoted Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow Milan Vaishnav, who accused Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, of having an "on again, off again" relationship with race and said she will "play it up" when it's convenient but stood with former President Trump and other Republicans that have "engaged in kind of racist tropes or racist activity."

"Over the past two years, Haley’s publicly leaned more into her heritage, campaigning with Asian American voters in Georgia and prominently featuring her family and her Punjabi Sikh identity in her announcement video. But she’s also shown a willingness to embrace some of the dog whistles deployed by the current Republican Party," Politico wrote. 

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Politico went on to suggest Haley made a racist attack against Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock while on the campaign stump for his GOP challenger Herschel Walker during the 2022 midterms, telling rally goers, "Legal immigrants are more patriotic than the leftists these days, so the only person we need to make sure is deported is Warnock."

The Haley campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

Haley is expected to be the first of several GOP candidates who throw their hat in the ring in the 2024 election cycle despite Trump's looming dominance over the conservative base. 

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Most polls show Haley placing fourth with single-digit support behind Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. 

After previously indicating she would not challenge Trump if he decided to run for president, Haley has since argued, "It's time for new generation of leadership."