Ramaswamy Interview Gets Awkward As He Ducks Trump Question

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had an awkward moment on MSNBC on Wednesday night when he seemed either unable or unwilling to explain his own past criticism of Donald Trump .

Host Mehdi Hasan asked Ramaswamy about a tweet calling Trumps actions on Jan. 6, 2021, downright abhorrent that he wrote one week after the then-presidents supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to block the certification of the electoral vote that made Joe Biden the next president.

Hasan asked Ramaswamy to explain what Trump did that day that he considered downright abhorrent.

He didnt answer, despite being asked repeatedly.

Youre avoiding my question, Hasan asked after the first attempt went south. What did Donald Trump do, in your view, that was downright abhorrent?

No, Im not avoiding your question, Ramaswamy said, then he avoided the question.

Hasan tried again.

Unless youre scared of him, why wont you say what he did that was downright abhorrent? Hasan asked. Its a simple question. Its your words. Its on the screen.

\"I want you to answer my question. Three times I've asked it. What did Donald Trump do that was 'downright abhorrent'? It's your words.\"

I asked @VivekGRamaswamy about his old tweets & writings, him criticizing Trump, and it got a little heated.
Watch:pic.twitter.com/3E13GBYlJ0

Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 6, 2023","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Mehdi Hasan","author_url":"https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan","cache_age":86400,"description":"\"I want you to answer my question. Three times I've asked it. What did Donald Trump do that was 'downright abhorrent'? It's your words.\"I asked @VivekGRamaswamy about his old tweets & writings, him criticizing Trump, and it got a little heated. 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"I want you to answer my question. Three times I've asked it. What did Donald Trump do that was 'downright abhorrent'? It's your words."

I asked @VivekGRamaswamy about his old tweets & writings, him criticizing Trump, and it got a little heated.
Watch:pic.twitter.com/3E13GBYlJ0
Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 6, 2023

Ramaswamy has been careful when speaking of Trump, often praising him and vowing to pardon him if elected. Hes also said he would offer the former president a spot in his own administration should he win the presidency in 2024.

Trump has reciprocated by offering praise for Ramaswamy.

Anybody that said Im the best president in a generation ... I have to like a guy like that, he told Glenn Beck last month , and he said Ramaswamy would be very good as a possible running mate.