Former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley capitalized on her time in the spotlight during an at-times chaotic opening 2024 Republican primary debate.

Haley particularly clashed with former Vice President Mike Pence and biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, distinguishing herself with her foreign policy experience and abortion position as the only woman onstage in Milwaukee.

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University of Michigan debate director Aaron Kall underscored the differences between Haley and her South Carolina compatriot Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) during the two-hour Fox News-hosted debate.

"They occupy the same lane being from South Carolina, she appointed him, they got paired next to each other on the stage, but I thought she had the better night by far between the two," Kall told the Washington Examiner. "She did a better job at inserting herself into the debate."

"Scott was a little more laid back and just seemed to disappear a little bit, at least in the middle or at times during the debate," the co-author of Debating The Donald said. "It's important because they have similar support, but a lot of it could be open to the other, so you could maybe see her rise at the expense of Scott, but that could be enough, at least, to get her into the next tier of candidates."

Ed Lee, director of Emory University's Alben W. Barkley Forum for Debate, Deliberation and Dialogue, agreed about Haley's performance, though he downplayed foreign policy's typical importance to elections and voters.

"It is an area that allows her to clearly differentiate herself from the pack in a way that is not explicitly about gender," Lee said. "I think her engagement with Vivek Ramaswamy on Israel and Ukraine [will] help to solidify the persona she is attempting to cultivate."

"In a crowd full of screaming men and, at times, unhinged men, it helps to be the one person standing out because you choose to be poised and operate with a sense of decorum," he added. "These debates are about contrasts. I think she came across looking seasoned, well-prepared, and thoughtful. That was not the case for some of her peers."

Haley and Pence were at odds over abortion access, with the former vice president advocating for all the candidates to endorse a national 15-week ban. Haley would rather Republicans "humanize the situation and stop demonizing" it.

"Nikki, you're my friend, but consensus is the opposite of leadership," Pence said. "When the Supreme Court returned this question to the American people, they didn't just send it to the states only. It's not a state's-only issue. It's a moral issue."

"No Republican president can ban abortions, any more than a Democrat president could ban all those state laws," Haley responded. "Don't make women feel like they have to decide on this issue when you know we don't have 60 Senate votes."

Lee did have concerns with respect to how Haley's abortion strategy would play in a primary.

"I think it is a smart answer from a governance-electability perspective," he said. "However, I am not sure how many primary voters care about that. Nikki Haley is a bit of a pragmatist. Can a political pragmatist do well in a primary?"

But arguably, Haley's biggest moment came when she criticized Ramaswamy's approach to Russia's war in Ukraine, where he declines to provide more support for the conflict, on the same day Wagner mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin was deemed killed in a plane crash.

"This guy is a murderer, and you are choosing a murderer," she said of Ramaswamy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Under your watch, you will make America less safe. You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows."

Haley campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso amplified the post-debate positive feedback, adamant the audience saw his candidate's "toughness."

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"She brought it to the South Carolina political establishment as governor. She brought it to the dictators & murderers at the UN. She brought it to tonight’s debate," he wrote on social media. "That’s exactly what America needs in our next president."

Haley averages 3% of the vote nationwide to former President Donald Trump's 55%, Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) 14%, Ramaswamy's 7%, Pence's 4%, Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's 3%, in addition to former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Gov. Doug Burgum's (R-ND) 1%, according to RealClearPolitics.