'Don’t wear ’em if you can’t run in ’em': Nikki Haley mocks DeSantis over rumors of high-heeled boots

2024 Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is making fun of Ron DeSantis over rumors that the Florida governor is wearing high-heeled cowboy boots to boost his height.

During an appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, Haley played into rumors that DeSantis is wearing inserts in his cowboy boots aimed at making him appear taller. The former South Carolina governor mocked her closest opponent in the polls by saying she wasn't personally afraid to openly wear high heels.

"I can tell you, I’ve always talked about my high heels, I’ve never hid that from anybody," Haley said.

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"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," she added.

Recently, several prominent designers of cowboy boots and shoes opined that the two-term Florida governor is wearing inserts based on their own experience helping to make custom boots for politicians who want to look taller. The shoemakers said some evidence of inserts can be seen in the heel of DeSantis' boots being slightly shaved down to make it easier to walk on artificially lifted heels, his toe being too far back in his boot (suggesting an artificially lifted heel), and the odd placement of the ball of his foot when seated.

Gov. DeSantis, for his part, has repeatedly denied that he's wearing height boosters in his boots. After Politico published its article interviewing the expert shoe designers, a DeSantis spokesman said "the governor doesn’t pad his boots," and attacked the publication for writing a story on the subject.

Haley isn't the only Republican presidential candidate to exploit the rumors of height boosters in DeSantis' boots. In an official statement posted to his website, former President Donald Trump attacked the Florida governor, pointing to various articles speculating about DeSantis trying to artificially raise his stature.

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"The embarrassing #BootGate story has longer legs than Ron DeSanctimonious," Trump stated. "While Ron's heels are high, his hopes have never been lower."