Foreign leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are “salivating” at the idea that Vivek Ramaswamy could be president, fellow GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said during Wednesday’s debate.
“I am telling you, Putin and President Xi are salivating at the thought that someone like that could become president,” the former United Nations ambassador said of Ramaswamy, who she has repeatedly tangled with on the debate stage.
Haley made the remark shortly after Ramaswamy criticized Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Ukraine is not a paragon of democracy,” Ramaswamy declared while on the stage. “This is a country that has banned 11 opposition parties. It has consolidated all media into one state TV media arm — that’s not democratic.”
Ramaswamy and Haley have battled at each of the GOP debates, and Wednesday night was no exception.
Later in the evening, Ramaswamy criticized Haley on the issue of TikTok by saying her daughter used the social media platform. Haley could be heard calling him “scum.”
Haley has risen in polls and emerged as a chief rival to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, though both trail former President Trump in national polls. Trump did not take part in Wednesday’s debate.