Haley on defense as DeSantis, Vivek take turns throwing bombs

The fourth Republican presidential primary debate saw former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley play defense in the face of relentless attacks from Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and tech executive Vivek Ramaswamy.

Haley has emerged as a media favorite in recent months, drawing considerable airtime and headlines, but has remained in a clear third place behind Donald Trump and DeSantis in most polls. At present, Trump boasts 61.0% support in the RealClearPolitics polling average, compared to DeSantis's 13.5%, Haley's 10.3%, Ramaswamy's 4.9%, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's 2.5%.

Trump did not attend the debate, which marked one of the last chances for candidates to distinguish themselves before the Iowa Caucus, the first nominating contest of the Republican primary next month.

While Christie, for his part, at times offered some support to Haley, her other opponents largely zeroed in on her record, putting her in the hot seat over her time as South Carolina's governor and challenging her foreign policy expertise.

Vivek challenges Haley to name three Eastern Ukrainian provinces

Ramaswamy defended his position of coming to a negotiated settlement with Russia to end the Ukraine War, a point of contention between himself and Haley that has prompted tense exchanges in prior debates.

"Foreign policy experience is not the same as foreign policy wisdom," Ramaswamy said, before noting that both Haley and President Joe Biden still support the war.

He then suggested that one thing Haley had in common with Biden "is that neither of them could even state for you, three provinces in eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to actually fight for."

"Look at the blank expression," he said, pointing to Haley.

“Look at the blank expression!” Shots fired! 🔥💣🥃@VivekGRamaswamy says @NikkiHaley can’t name the three provinces in Eastern Ukraine



Watch tonight's 4th GOP debate LIVE from the @UofAlabama with @NewsNation and @megynkelly on @RumbleVideo here: https://t.co/QA6k2t9UCC pic.twitter.com/k0jtVKiV5Z

— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) December 7, 2023

The exchange saw Christie interject on Haley's behalf to criticize Ramaswamy's behavior, calling him the "most obnoxious blowhard in America." 

"This is a smart, accomplished woman and you should stop insulting her," Christie said.

DeSantis and Vivek both challenge Haley on digital I.D.

DeSantis and Ramaswamy were of the same mind during an exchange on Haley's past calls for creating a digital I.D., with both insisting that she sought to identify individual internet users, presenting a means for the government to potentially retaliate against its citizens.

"We're marching towards fascism under Biden," Ramaswamy said. He further pointed to reports that Special Counsel Jack Smith had reviewed users who interacted with Trump's tweets. 

"The only person more fascist than the Biden regime is Nikki Haley who thinks the government should identify every one of those individuals with an I.D. That is not freedom, that is fascism," he said.

Haley, for her part, defended her prior statements, saying she had discussed the prevalence of bot accounts working on behalf of American foreign adversaries and that she had sought to crack down on such practices.

"I will always fight for freedom of speech for Americans," she said. "We do not need freedom of speech for Russians, and Iranians, and Hamas... I never said government should go and require anyone's name."

DeSantis, however, jumped in, saying "That's false. She said 'I want your name.'"

"She said one of the first things I'm gonna do 'all social medias, I want your name,'" DeSantis continued.

DESANTIS slams Nikki Haley for lying about her authoritarian government censorship policy: “You can roll the tape, she said ‘I want your name!’”



“You know the regime would use that” against conservative Americans. pic.twitter.com/PziAEBPbup

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) December 7, 2023

Haley and DeSantis battle over their gubernatorial records on transgender issues

DeSantis went on offense against Haley for her rejection of a bathroom bill while she was governor. 

"When he was running for governor and they asked him about that, he said he didn't think bathroom bills were a good use of his time," Haley said, prompting DeSantis to interject that "I signed a bathroom bill in Florida so that's obviously not true."

"I signed it, you didn't. You killed it, I signed it," DeSantis said. "I stood up for little girls, you didn't."

"I signed it you didn't. You killed it, I signed it. I stood up for little girls, you didn't." Ron DeSantis makes Nikki Haley's night even worse 😂 pic.twitter.com/AZ4fbHV3h2

— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) December 7, 2023

Vivek attacks Haley on identity politics

Ramaswamy accused Haley of "intellectual fraud" and "using identity politics more effectively than Kamala Harris" by highlighting her status as a woman and suggesting that Ramaswamy's criticisms of her and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel suggested he had a "woman problem."

"Nikki, I don't have a woman problem. You have a corruption problem," he declared while holding up a sign that read "Nikki = Corrupt."

"This is a woman who will send your kids  to die so that she can buy a bigger house," he declared. "I reject the use of identity politics in this party. It has been a cancer coming from the left. And I'm sick and tired of the double standards. The people of this country are too. Having two X chromosomes does not immunize you from criticism."

VIVEK: “Nikki I don’t have a woman problem, I think that you have a corruption problem and I think that people need to know: Nikki is corrupt” pic.twitter.com/vxmbc2fmYu

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 7, 2023

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.