Despite taking the bulk of the attacks from her three rivals on stage in Alabama, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was again the standout performer in Wednesday night’s fourth Republican primary debate, The Post’s panel of political experts agreed.

“Haley was head and shoulders above the boys,” said GOP consultant Bill O’Riley. “She came under withering attack from [Ron] DeSantis and [Vivek] Ramaswamy and proved herself unflappable.”

“Haley was meticulously prepared and her answers were considered and substantive,” he added. “Her momentum should continue.”

“Haley was the leader on stage from beginning to end,” agreed O’Brien Murray, a campaign strategist for Republicans and conservative Democrats. “She stayed in front of the pack and showed she is the biggest threat to Donald Trump, who will still be far in the lead for the GOP nomination.”

Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf said the men onstage came across as “jealous” of the former ambassador to the United Nations.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Post fourth GOP debate, presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said the media is treating rival Nikki Haley with "kid gloves" in response to claims that he has a "woman problem."

The 38-year-old launched several attacks on Haley during the fourth presidential debate, claiming that she could not name three provinces in eastern Ukraine. In previous debates, Ramaswamy has criticized Haley for being a "neocon" Dick Cheney in heels and has called on Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel to resign.

"We're not the party of identity politics. Having two X chromosomes does not immunize you from criticism. And I think the mainstream media has treated Nikki Haley with kid gloves," Ramaswamy said in post-debate spin room in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

"I don't think we should have anyone who is immune from scrutiny in debate. If you want to sit across the table from Xi Jinping, we're not playing with kid gloves. I'm certainly not. I think a lot of our voters are hungry for somebody who is going to take the fight on behalf of this country," the multimillionaire added.

Fellow presidential candidate Chris Christie had argued Ramaswamy had a "woman problem" in the spin room minutes before Ramaswamy addressed reporters.

"I agree, I think he does have a woman problem. I absolutely do, I think he has a woman problem and he’s insulting her on a personal, intellectual level," Christie told reporters.

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy stood by his invoking of the so-called Great Replacement Theory during the debate.

"The Great Replacement Theory is not some grand right-wing conspiracy theory, but a basic statement of the Democratic party's platform," he said.

After the debate, CNN anchor Dana Bash grilled him on the use of the phrase, noting that the theory had been cited by shooters who went on racist rampages in Buffalo, New York, and elsewhere.

"Look at the video I posted yesterday of Biden and Mayorkas 10 years ago, expressly discussing — these are Biden's words not mine — about non white populations exceeding white populations in the US through immigration and that being not a bad thing," he told CNN.

Bash underscored how that theory has been used to invoke antisemitism and other forms of hate. She explained that the term specifically was the concern.

"I think that we need to have more open dialogue in this country," Ramaswamy replied.

They didn't spend too much attacking each other on the debate stage, but Vivek Ramaswamy denied any alliance with Ron DeSantis.

"I think that I've gone after him plenty for some of our disagreements," he told CNN, highlighting their differences on free speech.

"Ron, I think I did say he was a good governor and ... I think it could be a good attorney general for the country," he continued.

As with every debate, social media was rife with hot takes and off-the-cuff impressions.

Here's just a few of the reactions we found amusing or interesting.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Chris Christie entered the spin room for the first time this cycle and was asked about his defense of Nikki Haley from attacks by Vivek Ramaswamy.

"I would defend Nikki Haley every day of the week on the charges that that guy was making against her. She is a smart woman. I don't think she should be president, I disagree with some of her opinions on issues, like Trump and trade, and some of those other things.

"But to sit there and try to pretend like your 3-year-old son knows the map better than Nikki Haley is disgusting. And by the way, I agree, I think he does have a woman problem. I absolutely do, I think he has a woman problem and he's insulting her on a personal, intellectual level."

Trump world is skewering the Republican aspirants who duked it out onstage.

“The battle for second place has become the biggest waste of time, money, and energy that politics has ever seen," Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc. said in a statement.

"These candidates are putting up a fake fight to satisfy their egos and please their billionaire puppet masters. It’s beyond time for Republicans to do what’s best for the country — unify around President Trump so we can maximize our use of time, money, and energy against Joe Biden and the Democrats.”

President Biden's team didn't seem too pleased with the GOP debate tonight.

The Biden-Harris campaign excoriated Republicans onstage, accusing them of trafficking in "extremism."

“Donald Trump is out here promising to rule as a dictator on day one and, despite quite a bit of shouting, every single one of these candidates spent tonight embracing his MAGA extremism that now defines the 2024 Republican Party," Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson Ammar Moussa said.

"Here’s the bottom line: If you can’t stand up for our democracy, you have no business leading it.”

Democrat National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison similarly blasted the Republican hopefuls.

“Tonight the GOP presidential candidates spent more time on the debate stage talking about bathrooms than they did talking about Donald Trump’s threat to be a ‘dictator on day one..'"

"For two hours, neither Nikki Haley nor Ron DeSantis could answer a simple question: Should his aspirations to be a dictator disqualify Donald Trump from leading the free world? Instead, they spent their time shouting across the debate stage," he went on. "It’s an embarrassment and the American people see right through their charade.” 

Following DeSantis' closing statement, the debate ends abruptly, without any good-bye from the moderators.

Nikki Haley is first out from behind her lectern to greet the moderators, followed by Christie.

And with that, the fourth and final primary debate of the 2024 cycle is in the books.

DeSantis gets the final word with his closing statement.

"We are in jeopardy of being the first generation of Americans to leave to our kids and grandkids an America less prosperous and less free than the one we inherited. I refuse to sit idly by and let that happen.

"But we got to have people that are going to be willing to fight the people that are doing this to us. It can't be these establishment Republicans that just came at the first sign of opposition. I'll fight for you."

"We also need to win again as a party. Yes, win the election, which we've struggled to do, but also win on these big issues. And nobody has defeated these people more than what I have done in the state of Florida on issue after issue. We have won and we have won big and that's what we'll do for you."

For yet another time tonight, Chris Christie elicited boos from the audience in the Frank Moody Music Building.

"Picture in your minds Election Day. You'll all be heading to the polls to vote. And that's something that Donald Trump will not be able to do. Because he will be convicted of felonies before then," Christie said.

Audience members groaned in disdain.

"Here's the bottom line, you could go boo about it all you like and continue to deny reality, but if we deny reality as a party, we're gonna have four more years of Joe Biden," he said.

As a closing question, the candidates are asked which past presidents they would model themselves after.

Chris Christie: Ronald Reagan. Calls the Gipper a "slave to the truth" and reveals he's writing a book about the 40th president.

Nikki Haley: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Ron DeSantis: Calvin Coolidge. Gets huge applause for that choice and calls the 30th president "one of the few presidents that got almost everything right."

Vivek Ramaswamy: Thomas Jefferson.