In a heated exchange during Wednesday's Republican debate, presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy revealed their deep-seated animosity towards each other. The tension escalated when Ramaswamy, known for his provocative statements, brought up Haley's daughter's use of the Chinese app TikTok during a discussion on banning the platform. Ramaswamy suggested that Haley should prioritize her family before preaching to others, to which Haley fired back, calling him "scum." This was not the first clash between Haley, a foreign policy hawk, and Ramaswamy, an anti-interventionist, over TikTok, as they had previously sparred on the issue in September.

The personal attacks continued even outside the debate, with Haley's son, Nalin Haley, taking to social media platform X to criticize Ramaswamy's attack as “desperate” and clarifying that his sister's TikTok account had been deleted a long time ago. As the race for the Republican nomination intensifies, Haley is competing with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to emerge as the top contender against frontrunner Donald Trump. Ramaswamy, who gained attention earlier in the year but has since lost momentum, remains a relative unknown in the field.

The debate took an emotional turn when Ramaswamy mocked Haley's pledge to ban TikTok by laughing and questioning her ability to control her own family. Haley responded with a retort that evoked Will Smith's outburst at the Academy Awards, demanding that Ramaswamy keep her daughter's name out of his mouth. Although Haley entered the debate with momentum after strong performances in previous debates, her exchange with Ramaswamy became a distraction from her goal of closing the gap with DeSantis. However, it is unlikely to significantly harm her campaign, as Ramaswamy has managed to irritate other rivals and some primary voters.

The third Republican debate, held in Miami, presented a more focused field of candidates, including Haley, DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, and Chris Christie. With frontrunner Donald Trump absent once again, the candidates discussed foreign policy, the economy, and other pressing issues. However, the debate also saw moments of petty barbs and personal attacks, indicating the tensions among the candidates.

Foreign policy, the economy, and even shoes became topics of contention during the debate. Ramaswamy took a jab at DeSantis, speculating about hidden lifts in his cowboy boots to enhance his height. He questioned whether voters wanted a leader like DeSantis or Nikki Haley, comparing them to Dick Cheney in three-inch heels. Cheney, known for his hawkish foreign policy, served as Vice President under President George W. Bush. The candidates also discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, immigration, abortion, and the federal budget.

With former President Donald Trump maintaining his frontrunner position and skipping the debate to hold his own rally, the focus remained on the five participating candidates. DeSantis, targeted for his choice of footwear, did not respond directly to Ramaswamy's taunt. Haley, who had multiple clashes with Ramaswamy throughout the debate, corrected him by mentioning that she actually wears five-inch heels, emphasizing that they are not a fashion statement but ammunition.