GOP debate turns into early pile-up on Haley by DeSantis, Ramaswamy

Right out of the gates, it became clear Wednesday night that Nikki Haley had a big target on her back in the fourth Republican presidential debate.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the surging Ms. Haley for being soft on transgender issues, and Vivek Ramaswamy warned that the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is a puppet for big donors and the GOP establishment.

“Nikki, you were bankrupt when you left the U.N.” Mr. Ramaswamy told her. “After you left the U.N., you became a military contractor, you actually started joining service on the board of Boeing, whose back you scratched for a very long time, and then gave foreign multi-national speeches like Hillary Clinton is and now you are a multi-millionaire. 

“That math does not add up,” Mr. Ramaswamy said during the debate hosted by NewsNation in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “It adds up the fact that you are corrupt.”

Ms. Haley responded, “First of all, we weren’t bankrupt when I left the U.N.  We are people of service, my husband is in the military and I served our country as U.S. ambassador and governor. It may be bankrupt to him, but it certainly wasn’t bankrupt to us.”

She also defended the 10 months she served on the board of Boeing, but said she left after the airline company sought a federal bailout.

---

SEE ALSO: Christie says he’d send U.S. troops to rescue American hostages in Gaza

---

Ms. Haley said her GOP rivals are “jealous” of her big-money donors.

“They wish [the donors] were supporting them,” Ms. Haley said. “I love all the attention, fellas, thank you for that.”

Mr. DeSantis, meanwhile, turned a question about his electability into an attack against Ms. Haley, who has been climbing in the polls and recently received the endorsement of the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity.

“She caves anytime the left comes after her, anytime the media comes after her,” Mr. DeSantis said. 

He said Ms. Haley opposed a measure that he supported in Florida to “stop the gender mutilation of minors.”

“She thinks it is fine and the law should not get involved with it,” he said. “If you are not willing to stand up for the kids, if you are not willing to stand up and say it is wrong to mutilate these kids, then you are not going to fight for the people back home.”

Ms. Haley said Mr. DeSantis is pushing falsehoods.

“He continues to lie about my record,” she said. 

Ms. Haley also said she is happy to welcome big donors into her camp, making the case that it does not influence her policy vision.

“I don’t ask them what their policies are, they ask me what my policies are,” Ms. Haley said.

At one point, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie blasted Mr. Ramaswamy for attacking Ms. Haley.

“He has insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence,” Mr. Christie said. “I’ve known her for 12 years, which is longer than he’s even started to vote in the Republican primary. This is a smart, accomplished woman, and you should stop insulting her.”