Nalin Haley, son of former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, made waves Thursday night after telling Tucker Carlson he believes naturalized citizens should not be allowed to hold public office — a stance that immediately drew praise from many conservatives and criticism from others.
Appearing on The Tucker Carlson Show, Haley discussed politics, immigration, and the reaction among young people to Carlson’s recent interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. But it was his comments on immigration and loyalty to the country that ignited the strongest reaction.
Haley argued that during the Obama years, America shifted away from expecting immigrants to assimilate.
“Immigrants historically have basically been expected to assimilate,” he said. “And then around the Obama years was when you started to see a shift of like, ‘No, you don’t need to change. You can be who you are.’ No, you need to assimilate. You have to. Because without it, we lose our identity as a country.”
He criticized immigrant enclaves that he believes resist integration:
“Why would we have people in here who don’t see themselves as one of us? That’s how you end up with places like Minneapolis with Little Somalia. These people isolate themselves and don’t integrate. You have parts of Miami where people literally don’t speak English at all, which is insane.”
Nalin Haley: “Naturalized citizens should not be able to hold public office… We should also not allow dual-citizenship… You’re either American, or you’re not.”
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) November 20, 2025
Haley argued that immigration issues go well beyond border crossings and affect culture, security, and national unity.
When Carlson asked him to elaborate, Haley delivered his most controversial take:
“So naturalized citizens should not be able to hold public office. Growing up here is a big part of understanding the country.”
He went further, calling for strict limits on foreign students — some of whom, he claimed, may be spies — and a full ban on dual citizenship.
“You’re either American or you’re not,” Haley said. “People should have their loyalty to America first. And if they can’t do that, then this ain’t the country for you.”
The comments quickly split conservatives — though many on the right enthusiastically supported Haley’s America-first argument.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) praised him, writing, “This kid has more sense than my colleagues in the House and Senate.” Conservative pundit Benny Johnson added, “Being born and raised as an American is critical to appreciating and understanding our land. It’s common sense.”
Others offered more measured reactions. Former Rep. George Santos, himself a dual citizen, disagreed with Haley’s blanket condemnation of dual citizenship.
“I’m a dual citizen born and raised in America and I disagree to paint all dual citizens with one broad brush,” Santos said, though he agreed with Haley’s concerns about foreign college students and restrictions on naturalized citizens holding federal office.
MAGA activist Laura Loomer criticized Haley for previously attacking Trump — a reminder that, despite Haley’s strong America-first messaging, not everyone in the movement is prepared to embrace him.
Still, the reaction underscores how deeply immigration, assimilation, and loyalty resonate with conservative voters — and how younger voices on the right, including those connected to past Trump rivals, are increasingly shaping the conversation.
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