At tense Republican debate, Ramaswamy calls Haley 'Dick Cheney in 3 inch heels'

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy went on the offense against Nikki Haley minutes into the third debate – lobbing a personal insult at the only female candidate on the stage.

Ramaswamy compared Haley's foreign policy views to those of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney as the candidates discussed Israel's war with Hamas. He lobbed the critique at her before she could attack him, as she has done in previous debates.

“Do you want a leader from a different generation, who’s going to put this country first," he asked. ''Or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels."

Haley told him later that she wears “five-inch heels” before adding, “And I don’t wear them unless you can run in them.”

“I wear heels, they’re not for a fashion statement, they’re for ammunition,” Haley said.

Ramaswamy hinted during the exchange that the barb was also directed at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who denied last month in an interview that he wears lifts.

The comparison to Cheney was part of a critique of the rival candidates' more hawkish foreign policy stances. Haley is a strong proponent of funding Ukraine in its war against Russia, and DeSantis has said he would deploy the U.S. military to the southern border and authorize troops to use lethal force against drug traffickers.

Dig deeper: Nikki Haley says her heels were made for running, accuses Ron DeSantis of hiding in his

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels' Ramaswamy targets Haley at GOP debate