Former Gov. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy’s disagreement over foreign policy devolved Wednesday into name-calling and shouting in the fourth Republican presidential debate.
Mr. Christie said Mr. Ramaswamy has proven to be an “obnoxious blowhard,” and Mr. Ramaswamy countered that Mr. Christie should leave the stage, “enjoy a nice meal and get the hell out of this race.”
The clash came after Mr. Ramaswamy, who said he opposed sending more assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia, challenged former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to name three provinces in eastern Ukraine she wanted to support.
Ms. Haley is too eager to get the nation involved in overseas conflicts, he said.
“This is the fourth debate that you would be voted in the first 20 minutes as the most obnoxious blowhard in America,” Mr. Christie said. He also defended Ms. Haley, saying Mr. Ramaswamy was trying to insult her “basic intelligence,” not her positions.
“I have known her for 12 years, which is longer than he has even started to vote in a Republican primary, and while we disagree about some issues, and we disagree about who should be president of the United States, what we don’t disagree on is this is a smart accomplished woman and you should stop insulting her.”
Ms. Haley responded with a smile.
Mr. Ramaswamy snapped back that Mr. Christie also “doesn’t know what provinces in eastern Ukraine he actually wants to fight for.”
“Chris, your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York,” he said. “So do everybody a favor, just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal and get the hell out of this race.”
Mr. Ramaswamy said Ms. Haley, Mr. Christie and others are “toxic neocons” who have been wrong on foreign policy for decades.
“You can put lipstick on a Dick Cheney,” he said. “It is still a fascist neocon.”
Mr. Christie hit back, saying when he was prosecuting terrorists as U.S. attorney Mr. Ramaswamy was “learning about the provinces in Ukraine sitting with his smartass mouth at Harvard.”
“The fact of the matter is back then he was a Democrat,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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