Ramaswamy compares Republican rivals to Dick Cheney ‘in heels’

Forget tax cut pledges and RINO accusations. Heels are primarily the new political cudgel in Republican politics.

For weeks, the question of whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wears heel raises in his cowboy boots has been the subject of attacks from former President Donald J. Trump and others.

The bizarre meme made its way into the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, when Vivek Ramaswamy used it to go after both Mr. DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the only woman on stage in Miami.

Mr. Ramaswamy compared his two Republican rivals to “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels.”

The moment came during an exchange about the US role in the war between Israel and Hamas. Mr. Ramaswamy, the youngest of five Republican presidential candidates at the debate, sought to separate himself from Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley, both of whom said they would urge Israel to completely eliminate Hamas.

Mr. Ramaswamy said Israel has the right to defend itself, but that he “wants to be careful to avoid repeating past mistakes.”

He asked, “Do you want a leader from a different generation who is going to put this country first, or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels? In that case, we have two on stage tonight.’

Ms. Haley addressed the barb a few minutes later, saying Mr. Ramaswamy was wrong about her shoes.

“They’re two-inch heels,” she said. “And I only wear them if you can run in them.” The second thing I want to say is: I wear heels. They are not for a fashion statement. They are for ammunition.”

The debate was still ongoing, but Mr. DeSantis had not yet discussed the specifics of his boots.