The two men are playing a game of political one-upmanship.
这两个男人在玩一场谁更高人一等的政治游戏。
《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》
2
Whether it's about choices around education, feeding, sleeping or even something as simple as the name you have given your child, we are all playing a desperate game of one-upmanship.
But then in a glorious show of one-upmanship, another bridesmaid grabs the microphone and delivers a moving monologue peppered with humorous anecdotes and spiritually uplifting Thai proverbs.