Nalin Haley, the son of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, has challenged Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s description of shared Hindu and Judeo-Christian values, saying the two religions have distinct beliefs and should not be presented as the same.
Haley made the comments in a Sept. 30 post on X responding to conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who had shared a post about Ramaswamy’s religious views.
“I don’t think people realize this is worse than saying ‘I’m not Christian and I have my own views,’” Haley wrote. He argued that Hinduism and Christianity “are not the same and don’t have the same values or beliefs,” while adding that Hindus and Christians should be able to hold their respective beliefs.
“But it becomes a problem when we lie and say that they’re the same,” Haley wrote. “It contorts both religions into something they’re not.” Haley also rejected the idea that his comments were about race. “Literally nothing I said has to do with race,” he wrote, adding that he did not want to change his identity and was responding to disagreement over his views.
READ: Vivek Ramaswamy mocked as ‘lizard’ by Nikki Haley’s son Nalin: Know why (September 10, 2026)
The post came in response to D’Souza’s X post about Ramaswamy, in which D’Souza wrote that the Republican candidate for Ohio governor is not Christian but attended Catholic school. He reads the Bible and shares what he described as the “same Judeo-Christian values” on which the United States was founded.
D’Souza also described Ramaswamy as being “as MAGA as the rest of us” and noted that President Donald Trump is expected to campaign for him in Ohio. Ramaswamy, who is Hindu, has previously made a distinction between his religious identity and the values he says he shares with Christians.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Ramaswamy said he was “not Christian” while arguing that Hinduism and Christianity share values including sacrifice, duty and belief in God. He also said he attended Catholic schools and had read the Bible.
In a separate explanation of his faith, Ramaswamy said he believes in one true God and that God resides in each person. He compared that belief with the Christian concept that people are equal because they are made in the image of God. Ramaswamy has also previously said that he shares what he calls the “Judeo-Christian values” on which the country was founded, while making clear that he does not identify as Christian.
The issue has resurfaced during Ramaswamy’s campaign for Ohio governor, where his Hindu faith has become part of wider discussions about religion, identity and the Republican Party. The Christian Monitor reported in September that Ramaswamy has sought to emphasize shared American ideals while questions remain within parts of the Republican coalition about the role of Christianity in American political identity.
READ: Nalin Haley goes nuclear on Vivek Ramaswamy (December 31, 2025)
Haley’s latest comments add another dimension to that discussion, drawing a distinction between sharing particular moral or civic principles and claiming that two religions have the same beliefs.
His remarks also continue a pattern of outspoken commentary on immigration and identity. In a September 26 post, Haley called for an end to legal immigration and the H-1B visa program while arguing that immigration was connected to the U.S. affordability crisis.