Haley tells Ramaswamy she feels ‘dumber’ listening to him during tense TikTok debate exchange

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley mocked entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during the second GOP presidential debate on Wednesday night and says she feels “dumber” the more she listens to him.

“This is infuriating because TikTok is one of the most dangerous social media apps that we could have and what you’ve got, I honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” Haley told Ramaswamy after he defended recently joining Tik Tok in order to reach “the next generation of young Americans where they are.”

Haley explained her belief that China is harvesting the data of Americans who use the TikTok platform making the United States vulnerable in the process.

“What they’re doing is 150 million people are on TikTok,” Haley said. “That means they [China] can get your contacts, can get your financial information, they can get your emails, they can get your text messages. China knows exactly what they are doing and what we’ve seen is you’ve gone and helped China make medicines, in China not America, and you’re now wanting kids to go get on this social media that dangerous for all of us.”

RAMASWAMY CAMPAIGN DEFENDS FORMER CEO’S ‘AWAKENING’ ON CHINA AFTER 2018 PARTNERSHIP WITH CCP-BACKED FIRM

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley delivers remarks during the FOX Business Republican Primary (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

Ramaswamy responded by saying that the party would be “better served” if “we’re not sitting here hurling personal insults and actually have a legitimate debate about policy.

“I’ve been very clear,” Ramaswamy said during the exchange. “Kids under the age of 16 should not be using addictive social media. We’re only going to get to declaring independence from China, which I favor, if we actually win.”

“I have a radical idea for the Republican Party. We need to win elections,” Ramaswamy said.

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Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the second Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on September 27, 2023. (Robyn Beck / Getty Images)

Ramaswamy continued, “So while the Democrats are running rampant, reaching the next generation 3 to 1, there’s exactly one person in the Republican Party, which talks a big game about reaching young people, and that’s me.”

Ramaswamy said that what differentiates him as a candidate is that he will surround himself with the “best and brightest” people and will always listen to what others have to say because he is not a “know it all.” 

“It’s a shame that Nikki Haley feels she has to resort to personal attacks in lieu of an actual vision for the country,” Ramaswamy spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement. “I’m sure she didn’t launch personal attacks in the boardroom at Boeing, and the American people expect the same as part of the electoral process.”

Seven GOP candidates were on the stage Wednesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. 

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Second GOP presidential debate (Fox News / Getty Images)

The list of candidates included: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech entrepreneur and political commentator Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.