US Presidential Poll debate: Barbs flew between Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday during a televised debate. War of words spiraled into the ‘Battle of the Heels, Part 2’ as the unfiltered Vivek Ramaswamy lobbed a personal insult at ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the only female candidate on stage.
Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Florida Governor RonDeSantis were involved in a heated exchange on US foreign policy – that news agency AFP called a “first in Republican debates” – when the Indian-origin Vivek Ramaswamy branded Nikki Haley a “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels”.
“Do you want a leader from a different generation who is going to put this country first or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels? Because you’ve got two of them on stage tonight,” Vivek Ramaswamy said in reference to Haley and DeSantis, while invoking the Republican former vice president (Cheney) who was known for his neoconservative views.
Cheney was a foreign policy hawk, and former President George W Bush’s vice president. The reference to former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney was part of criticism of his rivals’ foreign policy stance; this includes Nikki Haley backing funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
“Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels š Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!” Click here!
The attack on Nikki Haley was also a reference to her leaving public office to accept a position on the board of American aerospace giants Boeing; she stepped down in March 2020, less than a year later, in opposition to federal support for the company during the global coronavirus crisis.
Notably, Nikki Haley – who also exchanged ‘heel’ swipes with DeSantis last week, amid talk he wears lifts to seem taller – snapped, “(I wear) five-inch heels… and I don’t wear them unless you can run in them.”
The Republican candidates during the heated arguments also talked about the TikTok ban in the United States. Vivek Ramaswamy alleged the Nikki Haley’s daughter had used the Chinese short video app.
“You might want to take care of your family first,” Vivek Ramaswamy told Nikki Haley.
While DeSantis did not respond to Vivek Ramaswamy‘s remark, Haley shot back, adding under her breath, “You’re just scum.”
“Leave my daughter out of your voice,” she added.
Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy held forth on Israel’s war on the Palestinian people and the Hamas’ terror attack last month, notably which was Ā a subject all Republican challengers appear united and Nikki Haley said she would “finish” Hamas.
“… Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend itself. I would tell him (Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) to smoke those terrorists on his southern border…” Vivek Ramaswamy thundered, “(if elected President) I will smoke the terrorists on our southern border.”
Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world š Click here to know more.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Updated: 09 Nov 2023, 06:33 PM IST