Chris Christie calls Vivek the ‘most obnoxious blowhard in America’ and a ‘smart a**’ in furious back-and-forth: Ramaswamy tells rival to ‘walk off stage and enjoy a nice MEAL’ in vicious confrontation over ‘insulting’ Nikki Haley

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fiercely defended rival Nikki Haley after she was attacked by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during the fourth Republican debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Ramaswamy said of Haley that “foreign policy experience is not the same as foreign policy wisdom,” adding that the former UN ambassador would not be able to find certain Ukrainian provinces on a map.

The snub prompted a tirade from Christie, who needed a dramatic performance to revive her struggling campaign, which defended Haley as a “smart, accomplished woman.”

“This is the fourth debate where you would be voted out in the first 20 minutes as the most disgusting bully in America,” he told Ramaswamy, after waiting 17 minutes for the moderators, led by Megyn Kelly, to ask him a question.

Ramaswami responded to Christie that “his foreign policy experience was closing the bridge from New Jersey to New York.”

“So do everyone a favor and just get off stage, enjoy some nice food and get the hell out of this race,” he said.

Ramaswamy again became the target of Christie’s ire – they had clashed on the debate stage several times before – while discussing the war in Ukraine.

The 38-year-old political newcomer said a “sensible peace deal” was needed in the war with Russia, then turned to Haley, saying she and President Joe Biden were among the few politicians who believed in a “senseless war.” .’

“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them can even tell you the three provinces in eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to actually fight for,” Ramaswamy said.

“She has no idea what the hell the names of those provinces are that she wants to send our sons and daughters, our troops and our military equipment to fight over,” he continued.

“So put aside this myth that you were sold – that someone who drank a cup of coffee, worked at the UN and made $8 million after that – has real foreign policy experience,” Ramaswamy added, claiming his “outsider” status gives him an elevated perspective.

Hayley remained stone-faced throughout the attack.

“Look at the blank expression,” Ramaswamy said. “She doesn’t know the names of the provinces.”

Christie opened the debate by criticizing Trump and then the three candidates on stage.

“The fifth guy who doesn’t have the courage to show up and stand here is the one… who’s leading in the polls,” Christie said. “And yet I have three boys who seem to rival Voldemort—he who must not be named. They don’t want to talk about it.”

“We’ve been in this debate for 17 minutes and … all three of these people are acting as if this race is between the four of us,” the former New Jersey governor said.

He later used the same device to hit Ramaswamy.

“I want to say something else: We’ve been in this debate for 25 minutes and he insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence, not her position, her basic intelligence,” he roared. “She doesn’t know the regions, she won’t be able to find on a map what his three-year-old could find.”

“Look, if you want to disagree on some issues, that’s fine, and Nikki and I disagree on some issues. But I’ll tell you this: I’ve known her for 12 years, which is longer than he even started voting in the Republican primaries,” Christie added.

Christie’s refusal has not stopped Ramaswamy’s attacks on Haley, who has moved into second place in New Hampshire and is beginning to overtake Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in some national polls.

Moderator Eliana Johnson asked Ramaswamy why he used Haley’s full name “Nimaratha” and whether he doubted her Christian faith.

Both candidates were raised Hindu, but Haley converted to Christianity.

“I don’t question her faith, but I do question her authenticity,” Ramaswamy responded.

He criticized her for using “identity politics” by pointing out that she was a woman.

“At the first debate she said that only a woman could do this job. That’s what she said,” Ramaswamy said.

“After the third debate, when I criticized Ronna McDaniel for her five failed years leading this party and criticized Nikki for her corrupt foreign dealings as a military contractor, she said I had a ‘woman problem,'” he said. “Maybe I don’t have a problem with women, you have a problem with corruption.”

Ramaswamy scribbled something on his notepad early in the debate.

At that moment he showed it to the public: “Nikki = Corruption.”

“And I think that’s something that people need to know. Nikki is corrupt,” he said, holding up a clipboard.

Ramaswamy was booed.

When Johnson asked Haley if she wanted to respond, she demurred.

“No, it’s not worth my time to answer him,” she said.