GOP presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie have spoken out against the Republican National Committee (RNC) after it was reported the group threatened to expel the candidates from participating in future RNC-organized debates.
On Monday, Fox News’ Brett Baier announced his show was set to host an hour-long debate between Ramaswamy and Christie Tuesday evening.
Ramaswamy confirmed the debate between him and Christie, writing in a Twitter post, “The GOP needs more actual argument on substance, not fake one-liners. I agreed to spar with [Christie] tomorrow for a full hour on Fox at 6pm with [Brett Baier].”
However, on Tuesday, both Ramaswamy and Christie released statements revealing the RNC threatened to expel them both from future RNC-coordinated debates if they were to participate in a joint appearance on Baier’s Tuesday show.
Last week’s RNC debate was a disgrace, and I’m starting to believe that was by design. This is what a brokered and rigged nomination process looks like. I disagree like hell with @GovChristie, but when they asked me to face off with him, I said I’d be a man and do it – before the… https://t.co/yy9G7L4kgA
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) October 3, 2023
“Last week’s RNC debate was a disgrace, and I’m starting to believe that was by design. This is what a brokered and rigged nomination process looks like. I disagree like hell with [Christie], but when they asked me to face off with him, I said I’d be a man and do it – before the RNC intervened to cut it off,” Ramaswamy said.
“Instead of allowing open dialogue and the airing of ideas to give primary voters a real choice, the Establishment would rather cut backroom deals and offer up phony debates, including candidates with no viable path and questions that no voter would ever ask,” he added. “The Establishment was hellbent on taking down Trump. Now they’re hellbent on propping up their favored puppets. We won’t let them get away with it.”
Ramaswamy said, “It’s pathetic that the Super PAC puppet masters have now ‘summoned’ their favored Establishment puppets to broker a path to defeating Trump instead of allowing GOP voters to make a real choice on their own by hearing directly from candidates. Republican voters deserve better than this broken process.”
Christie also slammed the RNC on Tuesday, saying, “Voters need more information not less. Our Party needs more debates and in-depth discussions not less. This is common sense and the bedrock of our Republic. When the RNC stops conversations between candidates from happening, that is real cause for concern.”
“It is very disappointing that we were threatened with exclusion from the Miami debate and future debates for trying to have a more complete dialogue with each other and the voters. Every campaign was offered that opportunity by Fox News and they have now been effectively banned by the RNC,” Christie added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Vivek Ramaswamy” by Vivek Ramaswamy. Photo “Chris Christie” by Chris Christie. Background Photo “RNC Debate Stage” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
