Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called 2024 rival Vivek Ramaswamy a “jacka**” with a “woman problem” after the heated fourth Republican primary debate Wednesday night.
Christie and Ramaswamy provided some of the largest fireworks displays on stage during the two-hour event at the University of Alabama.
The ex-governor also caused a stir during a commercial break when he asked host Megyn Kelly for more time, a source told , after waiting 17 minutes to speak for the first time.
Afterwards, Christie went on CNN and said he had “had enough” of Ramaswamy.
“He’s a complete idiot,” Christie said.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called 2024 rival Vivek Ramaswamy a “jacka**” with a “woman problem” during a CNN interview after the heated fourth Republican primary debate on Wednesday night.
At the debate, Christie angrily defended fellow Republican candidate Nikki Haley, the former UN ambassador, after she was attacked on stage by Ramaswamy.
“It’s not up to me to form an alliance with Nikki Haley,” Christie said.
He argued that he defended her because she was a “competent woman and had worked incredibly hard both in South Carolina and at the United Nations.”
“And I think that Vivek actually has a woman problem,” the ex-governor said. “I do think he’s insulting women’s basic intelligence.” He’s done it over and over again. And I guess I’ve just had enough tonight. I had enough of listening to his rubbish.’
Christie had blown away Ramaswamy’s “smart Harvard mouth” and did so again during his time at CNN.
“If he’s dictating to me and Nikki Haley, who’s committed to public service, while he was out stealing from seniors to make his fortune, then I’m not going to take it anymore,” Christie said.
On stage, Ramaswamy said of Haley that “foreign policy experience is not the same as foreign policy wisdom,” adding that the former U.N. ambassador was unable to locate specific provinces of Ukraine on a map.
That insult sparked a tirade from Christie — who needed a flashy appearance to revive his struggling campaign — who defended Haley as a “smart, accomplished woman.”
“This is the fourth debate where you’ve been voted the most disgusting poser in America in the first 20 minutes,” he told Ramaswamy after waiting 17 minutes for the moderators, led by Megyn Kelly, to ask him a question
Ramaswamy shot back, telling Christie: “His version of the foreign policy experience was to close a bridge from New Jersey to New York.”
“Do everyone a favor, just walk away from the stage, enjoy a good meal and get out of this race,” he said.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie angrily defended his rival Nikki Haley after she was attacked by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during the fourth Republican debate
Christie (left) slammed Ramaswamy (right) for insulting “Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence” when the 38-year-old suggested the former New Jersey governor “enjoy a good meal and get out of the race.”
Ramaswamy again became the subject of Christie’s ire – the two have clashed on the debate stage several times – when he discussed the war in Ukraine.
The 38-year-old political newcomer said there must be a “sensible peace deal” in the war with Russia, then turned to Haley and said that she and President Joe Biden were among the only two politicians who believed in the “senseless war.” believed.’
“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them could even tell you three provinces in eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to actually fight,” Ramaswamy said.
“She has no idea what the hell the provinces are called where she wants to send our sons and daughters, our troops and our military equipment to fight,” he continued.
“So reject the myth that they sold you – that someone drank a cup of coffee, worked at the United Nations and went on to earn $8 million – that they have real experience in foreign policy,” Ramaswamy added and argued that his “outsider” status gives him an elevated perspective.
Haley remained petrified throughout the attack.
“Look at the blank expression on his face,” Ramaswamy said. “She doesn’t know the names of the provinces.”
Megyn Kelly, who moderated the first Fox News GOP primary debate of the 2016 cycle that marked Donald Trump’s debut, returned to the debate stage Wednesday as one of News Nation’s three moderators
Christie criticized former President Donald Trump, but also took his three rivals to task for failing to warn Americans about the threat Christie said Trump posed
Christie opened the debate by criticizing Trump and then the three candidates on stage.
“The fifth guy who doesn’t have the courage to stand here is the guy who’s way ahead in the polls,” Christie said. “And yet I have these three guys who all seem to be in competition with, you know, Voldemort – the one whose name should not be mentioned. They don’t want to talk about it.’
“We’re only 17 minutes into this debate and … all three of us have been acting as if this race was between the four of us,” the former New Jersey governor said.
Later, he used the same device to beat Ramaswamy.
“I want to say one more thing, we’re 25 minutes into this debate and he insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence, not her positions, her basic intelligence,” he roared. “She doesn’t know any regions, she wouldn’t find anything on a map that his three-year-old could find.”
“Look, if you want to disagree on certain points, that’s fine, and Nikki and I disagree on some points. But I’ll tell you this: I’ve known her for 12 years, which is longer than he even started voting in the Republican primary,” Christie added.
Later, Christie similarly insulted Ramaswamy, saying he “learned about the provinces at Harvard who sat there with that smart mouth” while the 61-year-old hunted terrorists.
Christie’s fall failed to deter Ramaswamy’s attacks on Haley, who has moved to second place in New Hampshire and is slowly overtaking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in some statewide polls.
Ramaswamy was asked by host Eliana Johnson why he used Haley’s full first name “Nimarata” as a reference and whether he doubted her Christian faith.
Both candidates were raised Hindu, but Haley converted.
“I am not questioning their faith, but I am questioning their authenticity,” Ramaswamy replied.
He accused her of playing “identity politics” by pointing out that she was a woman.
“In the first debate, she said only a woman could do this job.” “That’s what she said,” Ramaswamy said.
Vivek Ramaswamy held up his notepad with the message “Nikki = corrupt” after blasting Nikki Haley for endorsing the Left’s “identity politics” by bringing up the fact that she is a woman
“After the third debate, when I criticized Ronna McDaniel for five failed years at the helm of this party and 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 women’s problem, but you have a corruption problem.”
Ramaswamy had scribbled something on his notepad at the start of the debate.
At that moment he showed it to the audience: “Nikki = Corrupt.”
“And I think that’s what people need to know.” “Nikki is corrupt,” he said, holding up the tablet.
Ramaswamy was booed.
When Johnson asked Haley if she wanted to respond, she declined.
“No, it’s not worth my time to answer him,” she said.