WASHINGTON: For­mer US president Donald Trump questioned his rival Nikki Haley’s American identity, highlighting the Indian origins of the former South Caro­lina governor in response to her concerns about his cognitive health.

The personal attacks escalated as the New Hampshire primary approached, with focus shifting to whether Haley, gaining in polls, can secure a win against Trump. A failure in Tuesday’s primary could derail her campaign.

In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump questioned Haley’s origins as he explained why he has misspelled her given name. “It’s a little bit of a take off on her name,” he told Fox’s Brett Baier. “You know, her name, wherever she may come from.”

Trump also promoted a conspiracy theory that falsely claims Haley is not eligible for the presidency because her Indian immigrant parents were not citizens when she was born in South Carolina in 1972.

The personal attacks began on Saturday after Trump confused Haley, a former South Carolina governor, for former House Nancy Pelosi in a campaign speech. He attacked Haley of being “in charge of security” at the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, a claim he has frequently lobbed at Pelosi, who then was the speaker.

Haley questioned whe­ther Trump was mentally able to serve as president if he mixed up two people he knew personally.

Haley called out Trump’s remarks while arguing that the presidential contest should not be a showdown between two men near or above 80 years old (Trump and President JoeBiden).

“We can’t have someone else (after Biden) that we question whether they’re mentally fit to do this,” she said.

“My parents are up in age, and I love them dearly,” she added. “But when you see them hit a certain age, there is a decline. That’s a fact — ask any doctor, there is a decline.” As further evidence of Trump’s putative cognitive decline, Haley also mentioned past moments in which Trump appeared to mix up Biden and former President Barack Obama.

Trump hit back at the comments during his Saturday evening rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.

“They always say, like Haley, she talks about, ‘yeah, we don’t need 80-year-olds,” Trump said. “Well, I don’t mind being 80, but I am 77; that’s a big difference.”

He also defended his Obama routine, which he has described as a sarcastic joke. “A lot of times, I’ll say that President Obama is doing a lousy job, meaning that Obama is running the show,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024