Two days after the second Republican debate, former President Donald Trump slammed Nikki Haley on Truth Social, calling her a "birdbrain." On Oct. 1, the "birdbrain" insult became physical in the form of a birdcage and birdseed placed outside Haley's hotel room in Des Moines, Iowa. (Some online were quick to call it a hoax; reporter Marc Caputo said a photo of the birdcage was sent to him by the Trump campaign.)

Trump's penchant for name-calling has reached new lows.

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This kind of juvenile behavior is nothing but bitterness. In the Truth Social post, Trump remarked on Haley's supposed disloyalty for even running against him. Ironically, he suggests Haley lacks the right temperament for the presidency, but only after calling her "birdbrain" twice. He also says she lacks the talent. This schoolyard bullying is bad enough. But suggesting Nikki Haley is deficient in the area of talent is to be entirely delusional. Not only is Haley the former governor of South Carolina, but she also served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump.

Suffice it to say, Nikki Haley did well in the second debate. She held her own on a stage full of men. Her list of accomplishments is long, and her grasp of current policy and future objectives is confident and clear. In a New Hampshire primary poll released on Monday and commissioned by a pro-DeSantis PAC, Haley is in second at 18% behind Trump's 46%. DeSantis sits behind her at 12%. Nikki Haley is making waves and seeing gains, which is probably why that metal birdcage arrived at her hotel door.

In using the term "birdbrain," the Trump team tacitly admits they believe the only woman in the race is the least competent. It's a tiresome tactic in general but especially considering Haley's skills and abilities as shown on the national and international stages. Lashing out at her is bad enough. Delivering a "gift" to mock her further is an awful look that says much more about the sender and his view of women than it does the recipient. I doubt we'll see any other candidate receive the same treatment.

Trump's ill-mannered behavior has been around for a while. As some say, it's "baked into the cake." It is what the public expects from this man. He doesn't even attempt to reach a higher standard, the standard everyone else, including Haley, must maintain. Trump's boorish attitude was and is unpresidential. It should neither be celebrated nor reproduced. The best thing Haley and others can do in the face of the onslaughts is nothing.

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A day after the birdcage delivery, Haley's X feed focused on one thing: defeating Biden and standing up to leftism. There were mentions of China as our enemy, the disastrous situation at the border, and Biden's energy policies. This is what GOP voters want instead of temper tantrums and unprecedented displays of insecurity. We need serious discussions about what the nation is facing, both on and off the debate stage. People struggling with inflation and worried about the fentanyl crisis don't have time for these outbursts.

Those who seek the presidency should have a strong grasp of the issues. And Trump is right: they should also possess the appropriate levels of talent and temperament. If anything, the criteria counts him out, and Nikki Haley in.

Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.