Chris Christie calls Vivek the ‘most obnoxious blowhard in America’ and a ‘smart a**’ in furious back-and-forth: Ramaswamy tells rival to ‘walk off stage and enjoy a nice MEAL’ in vicious confrontation over ‘insulting’ Nikki Haley

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie angrily defended rival Nikki Haley after she was attacked by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during the fourth Republican debate.

Ramaswamy said of Haley that “foreign policy experience is not the same as foreign policy wisdom,” adding that the former U.N. ambassador would not be able to locate certain provinces of Ukraine on a map.

The insult sparked a tirade from Christie who called Haley a “smart, talented woman.”

“This is the fourth debate where you are voted the most annoying puncher in America in the first 20 minutes,” he told Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy fired back, telling Christie, “His version of his foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York.”

“So do everyone a favor, just walk off the podium, enjoy a nice meal and leave this race,” he said.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie angrily defended rival Nikki Haley after she was attacked by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during the fourth Republican debate

Christie (left) slammed Ramaswamy (right) for insulting 'Nikki Haley's basic intelligence' as the 38-year-old suggested the former New Jersey governor should 'enjoy a nice meal and get out of the race'

Ramaswamy once again became the subject of Christie's ire – the two have clashed on the debate stage a number of times – while discussing the war in Ukraine.

The 38-year-old political novice said a “reasonable peace deal” was needed in the war with Russia, then turned to Haley and said she and President Joe Biden were among the only two politicians who believed in the “senseless war” . .'

“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them can name for you even three provinces in eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to actually fight for,” Ramaswamy said.

“She has no idea what the names of these provinces are where she wants to send our sons and daughters, our troops and our military equipment to fight,” he continued.

“So reject the myth that they sold you – that someone had a cup of coffee, had a job at the UN and then made $8 million – that he has real foreign policy experience,” Ramaswamy added admits, arguing that his 'outsider' status gives him an elevated perspective.

Haley kept a straight face during the attack.

“Look at the blank expression,” Ramaswamy said. “She doesn't know the names of the provinces.”

Christie opened the debate by criticizing the three candidates on stage.

“We're seventeen minutes into this debate and … we've got these three people all acting like this race is between the four of us,” the ex-New Jersey governor said, taking into account their unwillingness to take the fight to Trump for real to enter into.

Later, he used the same device to hit Ramaswamy.

“I want to say something else, we're 25 minutes into this debate and he has insulted Nikki Haley's basic intelligence, not her positions, her basic intelligence,” he roared. “She doesn't know regions, she couldn't find something on a map that his three-year-old son could.”

“Look, if you want to disagree on certain issues, that's fine, and Nikki and I disagree on some issues. But I'll tell you this: I've known her for 12 years, which is longer than he even started voting in the Republican primaries,” Christie added.