A heated moment unfolded during Wednesday’s Republican primary debate which culminated in former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley leveling Vivek Ramaswamy as “scum.”
The lead-up to the tense exchange occurred when Ramaswamy took a swipe at Haley during a question about the video-sharing app TikTok and its links to the Chinese government. Ramaswamy has come under some criticism after his campaign joined the platform after calling it “digital fentanyl from China, flowing through our phones instead of the southern border.”
From the debate stage in Miami, where the two were separated by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he took a shot at Haley over the topic.
“In the last debate she made fun of me for actually joining TikTok while her own daughter was actually using the app for a long time,” he said. “So you might want to take care of your family first.”
The comment drew boos from the audience which evidently did not approve of targeting family members.
“Leave my daughter out of your voice,” a clearly angered Haley responded.
“You have her supporters propping her up. That’s fine. Here’s the truth,” Ramaswamy countered as the crowd expressed its disapproval as well.
“You’re just scum,” Haley shot back.
When moderator Hugh Hewitt gave Haley a chance to respond to the “personal” attack by her rival, she chose instead to speak about her record in China. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, continued to speak over the former North Carolina governor until the debate moved on to another topic.
