Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, engaged a host of her critics on Twitter on Sunday defending her diplomatic positions and even her name and Sikh origins. The Indian-American Republican’s Twitter habits have attracted attention for using her personal account to announce or clarify America’s diplomatic positions. Her sparring with critics took place only hours after a Politico report suggested that her use of the personal account for diplomatic purposes contradicted State Department guidelines on social media usage.
Ms. Haley has 1.6 million followers on Twitter, most of it acquired after she became the U.S. Ambassador. The State Department guidelines on Twitter policy is meant to ensure that expansion of social media presence happens for official handles as opposed to personal handles of individual diplomats or officials. The former Governor of South Carolina is widely considered to be a potential presidential candidate in the future.
The heart of the Twitter quarrel on Sunday was Ms. Haley’s strong defence of Israel in the aftermath of the recent shooting by its security forces of several dozen Palestinians last week. Twitter user, @The_Black_Camel, who identifies himself as student at the University of Houston, where Ms. Haley is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, posted: “Shame on UH for welcoming Nikki Haley to come speak on Tuesday! As U.S. ambassador to the UN, she claimed that Israel “showed restraint” in the Gaza massacre of 109 protesters & walked out on a Palestinian rep in a meeting. DM me if you’re down to respond to her coming.”
Though she was not tagged on the post, Ms. Haley joined issue with him. “It’s a shame you think that. I am very open minded and thoughtful in everything I do. You may not agree with me but to think I’m one side is inaccurate. I hope to meet you at some point,” she tweeted in a reply. Another Twitter user made a reference to the Sikh religion that she was born into and her name. “Imagine carrying your child for 9 months and naming her Nimrata only for her to start calling herself Nikki. Her ancestors BEEN turning in their graves,” the user posted. “Nikki is my name on my birth certificate. I married a Haley. I was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa and married Michael Haley,” Ms. Haley responded.
Accused of being a white racist, she responded: “I’m not white. I’m Indian American. Don’t ever judge or assume. Many people are looking for peace just like you.” The diplomat also explained her act of walking out of a UN meeting when the Palestinian representative was speaking last week. She said the meeting overshot the two hour schedule and she had other meetings to attend. “I didn’t walk out on the Palestinian. I left after all Security Council members spoke. I didn’t hear the Palestinian or the Israeli,” she posted.
