On Wednesday (8th November) Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy took a brutal swipe at his fellow GOP candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley calling her “Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels”. Ramaswamy also attacked Florida Governor and fellow presidential candidate Rob DeSantis over his cowboy boots said to contain hidden lifts to boost his height.
Speaking at an MSNBC News debate, Ramaswamy was asked about his stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. He opined that both Nikki Haley and Rob DeSantis could end up dragging America into a war in Europe.
“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,” Ramaswamy said.
It is pertinent to note that Richard Bruce Cheney also known as Dick Cheney was former President George W. Bush’s vice president and a main force behind the United States’ 2003 invasion of Iraq. Cheney is said to have undermined the CIA by ordering staff to funnel raw intelligence straight to his office. He also worked with then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to establish an alternative intelligence agency within the Pentagon. It is alleged that Cheney’s endeavours contributed significantly to the erroneous information that inspired the United States’ decision to invade Iraq.
Taking to X, Vivek Ramaswamy reiterated his “Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels” jibe against Nikki Haley as he wrote, “The choice should be clear: We can elect a president who will keep us out of World War III or we can elect a Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels.”
The choice should be clear: We can elect a president who will keep us out of World War III or we can elect a Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels. Because there are two of them on stage with me tonight. @RonDeSantis @NikkiHaley pic.twitter.com/i21U4tErmU
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 9, 2023
Nikki Haley responded to Ramaswamy’s 3-inch heels remark saying that she wears 5-inch heels and they are not for fashion statement but are for ammunition.
“Yes. 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 would say is I wear heels and they’re not for a fashion statement. They’re for ammunition,” Haley said.
Nikki Haley to Vivek:
— Team Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaleyHQ) November 9, 2023
“Yes. 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 would say is I wear heels and they're not for a fashion statement. They're for ammunition." #GOPDebatepic.twitter.com/n2vnevlvcl
On Wednesday Vivek Ramaswamy responded to Haley mocking him earlier for joining Chinese shot video platform Tiktok often accused of spying on Americans for the Chinese government, saying that Haley’s daughter also used Tiktok.
“In the last debate, [Haley] made fun of me for actually joining TikTok while her own daughter was actually using the app for a long time. So you might want to take care of your family first,” Vivek Ramaswamy said.
Vivek calls out Nikki Haley for criticizing him for using TikTok despite her daughter also using the app.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 9, 2023
HALEY: “You're just scum.” pic.twitter.com/rEkoTL9d5c
This, however, did not go well with Haley who replied, “Leave my daughter out of your voice.”
While Vivek continued, “You have her supporters propping her up, that’s fine,” Haley said, “You’re just a scum.”
For the uninitiated, Vivek Ramaswamy is an Indian American billionaire campaigning for the US President. Currently, Ramaswamy stands out as the youngest major Republican presidential contender. He hails from Ohio and holds a biology degree from Harvard University and a Yale Law School diploma. In his speeches, he has taken an anti-war, anti-immigrant, anti-wokeism, and delinking Russia-China alliance stance.