An interview that Fox News’ Sean Hannity did with 2024 GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy went sideways after the host confronted the Republican candidate with a remark he made about fellow GOP contender and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
In a previous interview with Tucker Carlson, Ramaswamy strongly suggested that Haley’s stance on the war between Israel and Hamas comes from a financial interest in the U.S. getting involved militarily at some point.
Ramaswamy said, “It is wrong what happened to Israel, and I call that out as a human being and as somebody who’s on a belief of some people are on the right side and the wrong side of a conflict.
“But the selective nature of ignoring certain other conflicts, while even more importantly ignoring the interests of the U.S. right here at home is what irritates the heck out of me,” he continued, adding the dig about Haley.
“I don’t think she’s a child. I think that she is somebody that, like many politicians, is in a position to get wealthier from war,” he said.
Haley was on the board of Boeing, one of the biggest military contractors in the world, until 2020; she still owns about $250,000 worth of Boeing stock, according to reports.
After citing Ramaswamy’s quote, Hannity brought him in to respond.
“What you’re doing here is — saying about Nikki Haley, is you’re saying that her concern for Israel is driven by financial and a corrupting influence,” Hannity said. “And your explanation that there’s disproportionate focus on rape, kidnapping and murder of the Jewish people in this attack and they’re – and your quote, ‘that there are frankly financial and corrupting influences that lead them exactly to speak the way they do.’”
“Sean, that is a shameful mischaracterization,” Ramaswamy replied.
“Hey, Vivek, wait a minute, stop right now,” Hannity interjected, referencing the candidate’s history of denying things he has said. “You do this in every single interview. You say stuff and then you deny it. You deny your own words. So, you know, why don’t you just own what you say and stand by it and stop playing these games?”
“Sean, I am owning what I said,” he responded before repeating his criticism of the “barbaric” attacks on Israel. “Where I differ from other candidates in this field is that I also believe that this is Israel’s decision to make. The U.S. should stand with Israel, but we need to be very careful not to enter a broader regional war in the Middle East.”
Hannity then brought up the remarks his guest made about Haley again.
“I want an exact explanation for your exact comments that are there ‘frankly financial and corrupting influences that lead them exactly to speak the way that they do,’” Hannity pressed. “What are financial corrupting influences that Nikki Haley is taking a position on? We’ve got pictures of dead babies, decapitated, burned babies’ bodies. We’ve got the equivalent of what would be, population-wise, in the U.S., over 37,000 dead Americans. So, how much more evidence do you need? What are you talking about?!”
After Ramaswamy appeared to try to dodge, Hannity interjected: “Answer the question!”
“Well, the fact of the matter is, I think anybody who has been a military contractor, anybody who has made $8 million including on serving on the board of Boeing collecting stock options while running for U.S. president on corporate boards, has made money for military contracting through a family business is disqualified from being the U.S. president in a time of war,” Ramaswamy responded. “I think we cannot see our march to World War III in this country.”
