Nalin Haley, the 24-year-old son of Indian-origin Republican politician and ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has stirred a massive online storm after calling India a “bad ally” of the US. The backlash wasn’t just about the insults but also about the irony. Nikki Haley (Nalin’s mother) is the daughter of Indian immigrants and has built a career partly on her heritage.
Taking to X, Nalin, who projects himself to be a MAGA supporter, wrote how India sends “cheap labour to the US, buys cheap oil from Iran, and cheap weapons from Russia because they have a cheap government.”
“And it’s not just India. The United States needs to re-evaluate their relationship with a lot of allies,” he added.
India has not been a good "ally" to America. They send cheap labor to the US, buy cheap oil from Iran, and cheap weapons from Russia because they have a cheap government.
— Nalin Haley (@Nalin_Haley) January 30, 2026
And it’s not just India. The United States needs to reevaluate their relationship with a lot of "allies" https://t.co/Zf87aYiRYS
Response to Vivek Ramaswamy’s old video
Nalin’s remarks were made in response to an old video of Vivek Ramaswamy from 2023. In the video, Ramaswamy had supported decoupling the US from China and expanding ties with India.
The 2023 video resurfaced as a section of MAGA supporters targeted Ramaswamy over his Ohio governor bid. Nalin, a known critic of Ramaswamy, has spoken openly against his policies.
Nalin’s anti-immigration views
Earlier in November 2025, Nalin made a contentious comment on how naturalised citizens should not be allowed to hold public office, adding that the right should be reserved only for US born citizens.
He had also called dual citizenship “stupid,” arguing that a person should choose to be American or not at all.
‘Nalin has no idea about geopolitics’
Nalin’s recent remarks drew the furore of netizens who questioned his lack of rationality and understanding of geopolitics.
One X user wrote, “This person has no idea about geopolitics…India is never an ally to anyone. Its foreign policy does not allow that. It is only a partner with other countries. The US State Department fully understands that.”
Another said, “Have you completely lost your mind in your hatred for Vivek? Your own mother, Nikki Haley, said the exact same thing you’re now attacking him for.”
“The entire Silicon Valley is being run by such ‘cheap labor’. And what do you even mean by ‘cheap’? American companies and hence AMERICA are benefiting from Indians working at low wages,” another user wrote, with several others questioning Nalin’s bias towards India despite his own Indian roots.