'Birther movement again': Trump floats conspiracy theory 'disqualifying' Nikki Haley from being president

DES MOINES, IOWA: In an eyebrow-raising turn reminiscent of his involvement in the infamous "birther" controversy, former President Donald Trump has shifted his focus to Nikki Haley, a rising star in the Republican Party.

As Haley continues to gain traction in New Hampshire polling, Trump took to his Truth Social account to share an article from a right-wing outlet, igniting questions about her eligibility to hold the highest office in the land.

"In @NikkiHaley’s situation, reports indicate that her parents were not U.S. citizens at the time of her birth in 1972. Based on the Constitution as interpreted by @PaulIngrassia, this disqualifies Haley from presidential or vice-presidential candidacy under the 12th Amendment," read the post shared by Trump.

Nikki Haley, born in South Carolina in 1972, has been a US citizen her entire life. Her parents, immigrants at the time of her birth, became naturalized citizens afterward.

Constitutionality Debunked

A thorough fact-checking by the Associated Press found these claims to be baseless, with experts affirming that Haley is indeed a natural-born US citizen, meeting the constitutional requirements for presidential eligibility.

“Haley is a natural-born US citizen who is eligible to serve as president. The former ambassador to the United Nations was born on Jan. 20, 1972, in Bamberg, South Carolina, according to information on her official website when she was governor of the state," AP reported.

"But experts agree Haley is a legitimate candidate as defined by the Constitution, regardless of her parents’ citizenship status. Her birth in Bamberg makes her a natural-born citizen, one of three qualifications to hold the US presidency," it added.

The US Constitution, in Article II, Section 1, explicitly specifies that only a natural-born citizen or a US citizen at the time of the Constitution's adoption is eligible for the presidency.

Author Paul Ingrassia, whose article Trump shared, expressed gratitude to the former president on social media.

"Thank you, President Trump, for sharing this very important piece...This could not have been done without the great investigative work by @LauraLoomer, who uncovered that neither one of Haley’s parents were US citizens when she was born in 1972," Ingrassia wrote, as quoted by Mediaite.

Social Media Reactions

Critics swiftly took to social media to condemn Trump's renewed "birtherism."

"Wow, he's going full 'Birther' on Nikky Haley? This dude is not well," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Trump challenging Nikki Haley's presidential eligibility? Sounds like the latest drop in the conspiracy theory mixtape. Tune in for baseless claims with a side of controversy," another wrote.

"Oye vey, the birther movement again?" a comment read.

"Funny, he didn’t mention that pesky 14th amendment," someone else quipped.

"He is scared!!" another added.

Parallels to Past Controversies

This episode bears striking parallels to Trump's past engagement in the "birther" controversy, where he aggressively spread false claims about Barack Obama's birthplace, fueling wild conspiracy theories about Obama being born in Kenya instead of Hawaii, his actual birthplace.

Trump routinely demanded Obama's full birth certificate to prove his birthplace's authenticity and, when presented, questioned its legitimacy.

After five years of pushing these allegations, Trump abruptly reversed course in September 2016, admitting that Obama was born in the United States and moving on as if nothing had happened.

In August 2020, Trump attempted similar attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, questioning her citizenship, despite her being born in Oakland, California.

In the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Trump targeted Senator Ted Cruz, claiming Cruz was disqualified from being president because he was born in Canada. Despite Cruz's American lineage through his mother and Cuban father born in Canada, he maintained that he qualifies as a natural-born citizen due to being born abroad to a US citizen.

Ironically, Trump himself faces potential disqualification from the presidency due to allegations of inciting the Jan 6 riot, HuffPost reported.