The third Republican presidential debate once again featured the five remaining major contenders for the Republican Party without Donald Trump, taking the stage in Miami to discuss foreign policy and the Israel-Gaza conflict, how inflation and the rising cost of living are causing trouble for many Americans — and whether TikTok should be banned.
But let’s be honest: the most viral parts of the night involved Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy trading barbs.
The five Republicans who qualified for the third round included former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Haley, entrepreneur Ramaswamy and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. Front-runner Trump also certainly qualified, but he skipped the debate again and held a rally near Hialeah, Florida, targeting the Miami suburb’s influential Cuban-American community.
Related: Haley looks like Trump’s biggest challenger ahead of final GOP debate, with welfare plan that ‘differentiates’ her
The debate was dominated by Haley and Ramaswamy, who led both Google’s real-time search trends and those on X.com, formerly known as Twitter. He at one point referred to her as “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels.” She called him “scum” after he appealed to her (adult) daughter’s TikTok habit. And it went round and round.
In case you missed the debate, these are some of the highlights that went viral on Wednesday night and that everyone will likely be talking about on Thursday.
Vivek Ramaswamy calls the Republican party a ‘party of losers’
Moderators Lester Holt and Kristen Welker of NBC News and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt came out and asked the five candidates why Republican voters should choose them as the next US president over front-runner Trump. Ramaswamy’s response was to blame the Republican Party “establishment” for Democrats’ victories in Tuesday’s elections, as well as Republican losses in last year’s midterms and the 2020 elections.
“In the end, we have become a party of losers,” he said, calling for “responsibility” within the party. “I’m angry about what happened last night. I think there is something deeper going on here within the Republican Party.”
Read more: ‘We have become a party of losers’: Vivek Ramaswamy slams GOP ‘establishment’ in Miami debate
Haley says we need an accountant – not Donald Trump – in the White House
Haley, a former member of Trump’s Cabinet when he was in the White House, answered the same question about why Republicans should choose her over Trump:
“I think he was the right president at the right time [in 2016]. I don’t think he is the right president now.” She accused the former president of pushing the country into $8 trillion in debt, noting “our children will never forgive us.”
“I think we need an accountant in the White House,” she added.
DeSantis calls out Trump for not attending the debate
The Florida governor caused an early stir by attacking Trump for skipping the first three presidential primaries, saying Trump “owes it to you to stand on this stage and explain why he has another should be given a chance.’
Additionally, DeSantis has made an effort to improve Trump’s record during his time in office. “He should explain why he didn’t make Mexico pay for the border wall. He should explain why he has accumulated so much debt. He needs to explain why he didn’t drain the swamp,” he said.
In his closing statement, DeSantis also promised to “deliver on all my promises,” unlike Trump.
Haley Fires Back at Ramaswamy’s ‘Dick Cheney in Three-inch Heels’
In a particularly testy exchange early in the evening, Ramaswamy called both DeSantis and Haley “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels” as he accused them of putting their personal interests and investments ahead of what’s best for Americans .
“Do you want a leader from a different generation who will put this country first?” he asked, referring to himself, “or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels, in which case we have two on stage tonight,” he said, drawing audible groans from the audience.
Haley earned applause by commenting, “I would first like to say that they are 6 inch heels, and I only wear them if you can run in them.”
She continued, “The second thing I want to say is, I wear heels. They are not for a fashion statement. They are for ammunition.”
Read more: Nikki Haley stomps on Vivek Ramaswamy’s comment about ‘3-inch heels’ during Republican debate
Everyone on stage wanted to ban TikTok
The candidates were also asked whether they would support banning the popular Chinese social media app TikTok, which has more than 150 million U.S. users. The candidates wholeheartedly agreed with this.
“TikTok is not just spyware, it is polluting the minds of America’s youth,” Christie said.
“Yes, I think China is the biggest threat we face,” DeSantis said. “They have been very effective in infiltrating different parts of our society. It’s not just military, it’s economic and cultural.”
And Tim Scott said that if US leadership cannot eliminate TikTok, the app will need parental consent to allow children 14 and under to use the app.
As for Haley, she did not answer the question but insisted on responding to some previous statements her competitors had made during the debate. So when it was his turn, Ramaswamy took the opportunity to note that Haley’s daughter is using TikTok, which led to….
Haley called Ramaswamy “scum” after he complained about her daughter’s TikTok use
What Ramaswamy said was: “In the last debate [Haley] made fun of me for actually joining TikTok – when her own daughter had been using the app for a long time,” he said. “So you might want to take care of your family first.”
Haley responded with, “Leave my daughter out of your vote,” as their conversation drew groans and boos from the audience. “You’re just trash,” she added after shaking her head and rolling her eyes at him.
It should be noted that Haley’s daughter is an adult, married woman. Still, many viewers, including those who identified as Republican, called out Ramaswamy for bringing Haley’s family into the debate.
DeSantis called out the Fed for overreach
DeSantis vowed to “reign in the Federal Reserve” if he becomes president, blaming the Fed, Congress and both major political parties for “botching” economic problems and causing the high inflation that Americans have experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of their ‘reckless monetary policy’.
“They messed up. Congress messed up. Both parties are guilty. The Fed should focus on stable prices, they are not an economic central planner for the American people,” DeSantis said.
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