South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley speaks at the National Press Club in Washington September 2, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX1QSJ7
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley speaks at the National Press Club in Washington September 2, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque – RTX1QSJ7

SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has reportedly emerged as a candidate for the position of Secretary of State in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, which prompted some quick jabs from Republican pundit Ann Coulter.

“If Trump wants and Indian Sec of State, how about Tonto?” Coulter posted on her Twitter page Thursday afternoon, the same day Haley met with the President-elect and his transition team as she was being vetted for the position.

Coulter describes herself as the author of 11 New York Times bestsellers, a legal correspondent for Human Events and writes a syndicated columnist for Universal Press Syndicate. She is known for incendiary remarks, particularly on social media.

Haley was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, in 1972. Her birth name is Nimrata Nikki Randhawa. Her parents are Sikh immigrants from Punjab, India. The Indian-American, who is in her second and final term as governor, was elected in 2010, riding the wave of the Republican Tea Party with the support of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Her re-election win in 2014 also also marked the largest margin of victory for a South Carolina gubernatorial candidate in 24 years.

Haley attracted national attention last year when she asked the state legislature to remove the Confederate battle flag from the Capitol following a racially-charged massacre that left nine people dead at a Charleston church.

CNN first reported Wednesday that Haley had been tapped as a possibility for Secretary of State, alongside top Trump adviser and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

After her meeting with the Republican billionaire real estate mogul, Haley’s office released a statement saying: “Governor Haley was pleased to meet with President-elect Trump. They had a good discussion, and she is very encouraged about the coming administration and the new direction it will bring to Washington.”

Trump and his transition have reportedly spent much of the last few days making calls to their former campaign rivals to fill important cabinet positions.