Nikki Haley picks fights with rivals and seizes momentum in Republican debate

Put-downs and non-Maga replies could help her displace Ron DeSantis as the leading alternative to Donald Trump

Honestly, every time I hear you I feel a little bit dumber for what you say."

Nikki Haley's put-down of Vivek Ramaswamy was perhaps the closest thing to a zinger in an otherwise messy Republican primary debate in which Mike Pence's jokes bombed, Chris Christie's Donald Duck" jibe fell flat and Ramaswamy suffered second album syndrome.