Nikki Haley mocks Ron DeSantis over height-boosting heel rumors

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Presidential candidate Nikki Haley made a low blow (literally) at her political opponent Ron DeSantis by mocking him for wearing heeled shoes to increase his height – a rumour the Florida governor has vehemently denied.

“I can tell you, I’ve always talked about my high heels, I’ve never hid that from anybody,” Ms Haley said during an appearance on The Daily Show on Wednesday.

Over the last few weeks, headlines about Mr DeSantis has been inundated with allegations that he wears shoe lifts or heeled shoes to make himself appear taller in an effort to appear more presidential and appeal to voters.

Though Mr DeSantis and his campaign have denied the frivolous allegations, viral videos and “expert analysis” have fueled the fire that the 2024 Republican candidate might be trying to give himself a boost.

“I’ve always said don’t wear ‘em if you can’t run in ‘em so we’ll see if he can run in them,” Ms Haley chuckled, alluding to the candidates’ anticipated appearance at the third GOP debate on 8 November.

As primary election and caucus dates grow closer, 2024 candidates are ramping up their attacks on each other while vying for voters’ support.

Like Ms Haley, another Republican candidate capitalised on Mr DeSantis’ heeled-shoe rumour to diminish his presence.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump’s campaign mocked Mr DeSantis for his choice of shoewear, calling it the ‘kiss of death’ in a lengthy statement.

“The embarrassing #BootGate story has longer legs than Ron DeSanctimonious,” Mr Trump’s campaign wrote.

Mr Trump is currently leading most Republican primary polls by a significant margin – Mr DeSantis and Ms Haley are trailing behind the ex-president, fighting for the second spot.

But Ms Haley is confident she will be able to convince the Republican Party to throw their support behind her.

“They just need some time,” she said on Wednesday.

Slowly but surely Ms Haley has been climbing in the polls gaining support in South Carolina and Iowa – though still behind Mr Trump.

Though Mr DeSantis began his campaign with more support behind him than Ms Haley, the ex-South Carolina governor has proved to be a strong candidate by positioning herself as a more moderate alternative to Mr Trump, Mr DeSantis, Tim Scott and other contenders.