South Carolina State Senator Calls Nikki Haley A "Raghead"
When Republicans are accused of being insensitive to issues of race and ethnicity, they get quite defensive and accuse their opponents of playing the race card. But they definitely have a problem, so much so that they will even go after members of their own party. For example, South Carolina State Senator Jake Knotts earlier today called Nikki Haley, who is currently serving in the state's House of Representatives and is favored to win the Republican nomination for governor, a "raghead." Raghead, of course, is a derogatory and racial slur used to describe Middle-Easterners and people of South Asian heritage. Haley, born Nimrata Randhawa, is Indian-American.
Lexington County state Senator Jake Knotts is accused of making a racial slur towards gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley on a political radio show Thursday night.
Sen. Jake Knotts was heard by multiple sources to call Haley a "raghead" on Pub Politics at the Flying Saucer in Columbia's Vista. Haley was born in South Carolina, but her family is of Indian heritage.
Director of the State Senate Democratic Caucus and co-host of the show, Phil Bailey, confirmed to WACH Fox he heard Knotts use the phrase toward Haley.
Bailey quickly distanced himself from Knotts and added the statement of guests does not reflect the views of Pub Politics.
Episodes of Pub Politics are archived online; however, Thursday's episode is unavailable. Republican political operative and show co-host Wesley Donehue blamed the failure on a technical error.
"I must have forgot to hit record," said Donehue.
