Vivek Ramaswamy boosted a string of far-right conspiracy theories during a bad-tempered CNN town hall in Iowa.
The Republican presidential candidate became embroiled in an argument with host Abby Phillip who refused to let Mr Ramaswamy “cherry pick” facts about January 6 or the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot.
Mr Ramaswamy initially received a cool reception from the audience in Iowa on Wednesday, taking nearly 25 minutes to even get a round of applause during the live event.
But the Republican voters quickly warmed up to the biotech CEO when he began verbally sparring with Phillip while she tried to fact-check him about conspiracies.
It became heated when Mr Ramaswamy was asked about a January 6 defendant citing his GOP debate claim that it was an “inside job” during a recent sentencing hearing, and he said that three years ago he did not believe in conspiracies like he does today.
“But we have a government that has lied to us systematically about Covid-19, about the Hunter Biden laptop which we were told was false then was true ... the Trump-Russia hoax, now we come to January 6 and we know there were federal law enforcement agents in the field,” he said.
Philip: Mr. Ramaswamy, I don’t want to have to interrupt but I don’t want you to mislead the audience. 14 people were charged in that plot. Nine were convicted pic.twitter.com/A9F7vxVBDn
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 14, 2023
When Phillip told him that there was no evidence of that claim, Mr Ramaswamy began to talk loudly over her and insist that “multiple informants” had “suggested” it.
He then claimed that many of those arrested during the violent insurrection by Trump supporters had been victims of “entrapment” by the federal government.
He repeatedly told Philip that he knew that his claims were “hard” for her.
“I am just waiting for the evidence,” she told him as the crowd applauded the Republican.
“Why did they suppress the footage of them shooting rubber bullets and tear gas into that crowd,” he told the audience.
He then slammed the government for prosecuting people who were “let in freely” by the Capitol Police.
Philip: Mr. Ramaswamy, I don’t want to have to interrupt but I don’t want you to mislead the audience. 14 people were charged in that plot. Nine were convicted pic.twitter.com/A9F7vxVBDn
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 14, 2023
“You can’t cherry-pick examples and say that is what happened on January 6,” Phillip told him.
Mr Ramawamy then turned to the right-wing plot to kidnap Ms Whitmer, pointing out that three defendants had been cleared and arguing that FBI efforts to “entrap” them proved that authorities were involved in creating crime.
Phillip reminded him that 14 people had been arrested and that nine had either been convicted or pleaded guilty.
“I don’t want you to mislead the audience here or at home,” she told him.
“I think they have been misled by the mainstream media, release the video footage” he shot back.
Mr Ramaswamy also said during the event that he would kick out the US-born children of illegal immigrants.
“I do believe that anybody who is in this country illegally needs to be returned to their country of origin, not because they are bad people, many are good people and if we are honest if we were in their shoes and in a tough spot we would have done the same thing,” he said.
The Republican later admitted that he would not be able to implement the policy retroactively and it would only be done from 2025 onwards for new cases.
Mr Ramawswamy also discussed his plan to end the Ukraine war, with the country being forced to hand over territories taken by Russia and Vladimir Putin.
“The deal we are going to do now will allow Ukraine to come out with its sovereignty intact,” he insisted.
He was asked what he would do as US president if Vladimir Putin marched his troops into Kyiv, and called it a “fictitious scenario” as he gave his own reason why eastern territories had fallen to Moscow.
“The eastern regions of Ukraine are Russian speaking and don’t even really view themselves as part of Ukraine … that is why there was no counter-insurgency or resistance.”
