Fox News host confronts Vivek Ramaswamy over his previous criticism of Trump

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Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman and 2024 GOP presidential candidate, was confronted during an appearance on Fox News on Sunday for his apparent avoidance of criticizing Donald Trump, given that he previously criticized the former president’s response to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Ramaswamy, founder of Roivant Scientists and author of several books critical of progressive business politics, was among the first candidates to declare his intention to run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Ramaswamy is also among several candidates for the GOP nomination who have been called out for their refusal to directly criticize Trump. Trump leads the pack of GOP candidates by a significant margin. Some analysts have said shooting the leading candidate is a standard strategy in a political campaign, suggesting that GOP challengers’ avoidance of outright criticism highlights their fear of alienating Trump’s staunch supporter base.

During an appearance on Fox News on Sunday, host Shannon Bream confronted Ramaswamy, noting that he had previously been highly critical of Trump’s actions in relation to the Jan. 6 events.

Above is a photo of GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. On Sunday, a Fox News host confronted the candidate about his past criticism of Trump and his more recent reluctance to shoot the former president directly. Scott Olson/Getty Images

“What Trump did last week was wrong,” Ramaswamy wrote in a tweet just six days after the riots, as Bream noted. “Totally disgusting. Plain and simple. He also tweeted shortly after the riot that Trump’s behavior was “blatant”.

“So why are you and the other candidates now so quick to defend it?” asked Bream. “Are you worried about the punch you would take for him if you actually criticized that behavior now?”

In response, Ramaswamy claimed that Trump’s actions around January 6 were “bad judgment”, but not a crime.

“I’ve always been consistent that I would have made different judgments than Donald Trump,” he said. “That’s why I’m running in this presidential race, the same race as him, because I would have made different – ​​and I believe better – judgments for the country. But a bad judgment is not the same as a crime. And when you confuse the two, it sets a dangerous precedent for this country.”

Ramaswamy has been among the most vocal in the Republican field of 2024 as he vowed to pardon Trump for the various criminal charges against him, if elected president.

A new poll from Iowa, the state where the 2024 GOP primary season kicks off in January, found Ramaswamy had 5% support from likely Republican voters in the state. That was ahead of candidates like Mike Pence, Nikki Haley and Chris Christie, but well behind Trump, who received support from 55% of respondents. The poll was notably funded by the Trump campaign, but its results largely line up with the results of other recent polls.

Another recent national poll conducted by Kaplan Strategies released on July 20 showed Ramaswamy tied for second place with DeSantis. Both were at 12% support compared to Trump’s 48%.

A Harvard CAPS Harris poll from July 19-20 showed Ramaswamy narrowly trailing DeSantis. The businessman had 10% and the governor of Florida 12%. Trump came in at 52%.

Newsweek has contacted Ramaswamy’s campaign by email for comment.

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