Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy continues to skirt away from his previous criticism of Donald Trump as he seeks to win the 2024 GOP nomination with Mr Trump main the race.
Mr Ramaswamy appeared on MSNBC to reply questions from Medhi Hasan, who peppered the entrepreneur and surging political newcomer with questions on remarks he had made about Donald Trump within the rapid aftermath of the January 6 assault on Congress.
On the time, Mr Ramaswamy had tweeted, alongside the publication of an op-ed in The Wall Avenue Journal, that “what Trump did final week was improper. Downright abhorrent”.
However on Wednesday, Mr Ramaswamy was repeatedly unwilling to elucidate what he meant by that.
The 2 went forwards and backwards a number of instances, as Mr Ramawamy evaded answering what Mr Trump had particularly accomplished that was “abhorrent” — as a substitute, he provided what he would have accomplished as a substitute, what Mr Trump ought to have mentioned in his now-famous handle to the rioters, and different quips.
“That’s not what I requested, Vivek,” an exasperated Hasan repeated.
Mr Ramaswamy would provide once more: “What did I feel was reprehensible about what occurred that day? Look, I feel that the best way a real chief ought to have dealt with that scenario ought to have been to truly say-” earlier than he was reduce off for dodging the query as soon as extra.
“I perceive, you retain saying what you’d have accomplished, I simply wish to hear out of your mouth, except you’re fearful of him. Why gained’t you say what he did that was ‘downright abhorrent?’”
Mr Ramaswamy immediately refused — “I’m not going to.”
His strongest criticism of Mr Trump was to level out the staggeringly apparent — that Mr Trump had didn’t “unite” the nation.
“I imagine that failing to unite this nation falls in need of what a real chief should do. That’s the reason I’m on this race, is to do issues in a different way than any prior president has accomplished them. That’s the onerous reality,” he mentioned.
Few individuals have been anticipating Donald Trump to unite the nation on January 6, as his supporters stormed the seat of US democracy and hunted lawmakers (and Mr Trump’s personal vice chairman) by means of the halls. Many, nonetheless, anticipated (or not less than hoped) that he would name within the DC Nationwide Guard, which is the one such division of the Guard to report on to the president.
The decision for backup got here 4 hours earlier than Nationwide Guard troops lastly arrived on the scene through the assault.
Mr Ramaswamy continues to battle for second place within the ongoing Republican major, whereas Mr Trump stays the social gathering’s de facto chief and the clear frontrunner for the 2024 nomination.
A variety of candidates within the race, and specifically Mr Ramaswamy, have been accused of angling for Cupboard positions beneath a second Trump presidency as they by and enormous keep away from any critical criticism of their supposed rival.