Mudslinging Match: 'Armed' with 5-inch heels, Nikki Haley calls Vivek Ramaswamy 'scum' as he attacks her daughter

During the Republican Party’s third presidential debate in Miami, tensions flared between Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. In the opening moments of the debate, Ramaswamy called DeSantis and Haley “Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels” “Do you want a leader from a different generation who’s gonna put this country first, or do you want Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels, in which case we’ve got two of them on stage tonight,” he asked. To this, Haley responded, “I’d first like to say they’re 5-inch heels, and I don’t wear them unless you can run in them, The second thing I will say is, I wear heels. They’re not for a fashion statement. They’re for ammunition.”

Haley fires back at Ramaswamy pic.twitter.com/WadiJ0Ykqr

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 9, 2023

The debate got heated when Ramaswamy raised concerns about Haley’s daughter using TikTok, highlighting worries about China potentially using the app for spying. In response, Haley sharply criticised Ramaswamy, and called him a “scum.” Ramaswamy said, “She made fun of me for actually joining TikTok while her own daughter was actually using the app for a long time.” Haley then stated, “Leave my daughter out of your voice.” The audience’s enthusiastic response encouraged Ramaswamy to emphasise that the younger generation of Americans actively uses TikTok. Furthermore, Ramaswamy faced a sharp rebuttal from Haley when he reiterated his opposition to the United States supporting Ukraine against Russian invasion. He criticised the “Ukraine hawks” on stage, singling out Haley, and referred to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a “comedian in cargo pants.” In response, Haley warned, “I’m telling you, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and President Xi [Jinping of China] are salivating at the thought that someone like that could become president.”

Haley to Ramaswamy: You’re just scum pic.twitter.com/meLxcAVg4a

— Acyn (@Acyn) November 9, 2023

First Debate This animosity between the two American leaders of Indian descent had been brewing since the early Republican debates. In the first debate in Milwaukee, Haley had criticised Ramaswamy’s limited foreign policy experience, delivering a scathing evaluation of his qualifications. Ramaswamy had earlier mocked Haley while suggesting that she was auditioning for a job with a major defence contractor. Haley shot back at Ramaswamy and said, “He will make America less safe. You have no foreign policy experience and it shows,” , Second Debate During the second debate on 28 September, other contenders had criticised Ramaswamy for his past business ties with Chinese companies. Haley said that Ramaswamy’s prior dealings made him untrustworthy. When Ramaswamy defended himself by mentioning his company’s withdrawal from Beijing, Haley retorted, “Honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber.” To this, Ramaswamy said, “we will be better served as a Republican Party if we’re not sitting here hurling personal insults.” He added that he would “use smaller words next time to make it easier for Haley." With inputs from agencies