RNC Threatens Christie and Ramaswamy with Debate Ban Over Joint Fox News Appearance
In a surprising turn of events, Republican National Committee (RNC) officials have allegedly threatened to ban both Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy from the upcoming GOP primary debate due to their planned joint appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” evening news program.
Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, and Ramaswamy, a prominent biotech entrepreneur, had intended to appear together on Fox News, but according to both candidates, RNC officials warned them that this would violate their pledge to only participate in sanctioned debates. This warning effectively put their participation in the November 8 debate in Miami in jeopardy.
As a result, both 2024 presidential hopefuls have opted for separate interviews with Fox News host Bret Baier, and they are not holding back in criticizing the RNC for their stance.
In a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter), Christie expressed his disappointment, stating, “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.”
Ramaswamy echoed these sentiments, accusing the RNC of orchestrating a “brokered and rigged nomination process” and describing the recent RNC debate as a “disgrace.”
Both candidates have had their differences in previous debates, with Christie even likening Ramaswamy to “a guy that sounds like ChatGPT.” However, their attempt to engage in a more comprehensive dialogue has been met with resistance from the RNC.
The RNC has yet to comment on the matter officially, and Fox News has not responded to requests for comment either. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who holds a substantial lead in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate, has skipped the first two RNC debates, with his campaign urging the committee to cancel any future showcases in favor of focusing on preventing alleged Democratic efforts to “steal the 2024 election.”
