The Most Heated Moment of the Debate

The second GOP presidential primary debate was filled with unfunny jokes, chaotic cross-talk, and Ron DeSantis’ awkward attempts to smile like a normal human being. But there was one standout moment: when Nikki Haley clashed with Vivek Ramaswamy over his TikTok usage.

One of the moderators asked Ramaswamy to explain why he became the only Republican presidential candidate to join TikTok, despite controversy over the app’s ties to China, after meeting with 26-year-old influencer Jake Paul. (Before that, Ramaswamy had called the app “digital fentanyl” and called for it to be banned completely.)

Ramaswamy said that he joined the platform as a way to reach young Americans, and added that he believes children under 16 should be banned from using “addictive” social media. “Let me level with all of you—I’m the new guy here, so I know I have to earn your trust,” he added.

Haley jumped in, kicking off a fiery exchange. “This is infuriating because TikTok is one of the most dangerous social media apps that we could have, and honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” Haley said.

The two went on to speak over each other for a long moment before Ramaswamy ceded the floor. “We can’t trust you!” Haley concluded. “We can’t trust you!”

The exchange comes amid a national debate over whether TikTok should be banned in the U.S. over fears that the app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, might share user data with the Chinese government. The app is wildly popular in the U.S., with nearly 30 percent of adults saying they have a TikTok account. More than 30 states have already banned TikTok on state-owned devices, and federal employees were also directed to delete it from any government-linked devices.

Haley has been among those opposed to the app. “We’re going to ban TikTok,” she told voters while campaigning in New Hampshire in March. “Ban TikTok everywhere.”

Haley’s opinion of Ramaswamy seems to have soured since 2021, when his book Woke, Inc. came out, complete with a glowing blurb from her. “Vivek speaks the truth without fear … His combination of honesty, intellect, and foresight are exactly what we need to overcome our challenges in the years ahead,” she wrote at the time.