Haley: Trump’s going birther because he’s ‘threatened’ and ‘insecure’

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley responded on Thursday to Donald Trump spreading birther conspiracies and launching racist attacks against her, calling him “threatened” and “insecure.”

“I know President Trump well. That’s what he does when he feels threatened, that’s what he does when he feels insecure,” she told CNN’s Jake Tapper, during a town hall event.

Tapper asked Haley for her response to two recent attacks made against her by her former boss and current GOP presidential frontrunner: First, Trump spreading an article saying Haley is ineligible to run for president because her parents were not U.S. citizens when Haley was born; and second, his reference to Haley by her given name, Nimarata, which he misspelled in his Truth Social post attacking her. (Haley’s middle name is Nikki).

“Well, first, I am the proud daughter of Bamberg, South Carolina, so I love my sweet town and I’m proud to say I’m from there. So, that’s the first question, we can throw that out the window,” Haley told Tapper, who acknowledged that Haley is eligible to run for president.

Expounding upon Trump’s post, the former U.N. ambassador said Trump’s race-baiting broadside “doesn’t bother me.”

“I know that I am a threat. I know that’s why he’s doing that,” she said. “So it’s not going to waste any energy from me. I’m going to continue to focus on the things that people want to talk about and not get into the name-calling back with him.”

Haley’s campaign this week has put out videos trolling Trump, as well as ones featuring flattering things he said about Haley when she worked for his administration. Both she and her campaign have made clear that Haley, despite failing to surpass Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in Iowa, is proceeding as if Trump is her only remaining rival.

Natalie Allison contributed to this report.