Vivek Ramaswamy Takes the Cake for Being the Worst at the Republican Debate

Vivek Ramaswamy Proved to be the Worst of Them All in the Republican Debate

Joe Raedle//Getty Images On Thursday, we bid farewell to our beloved pandas and witnessed the gathering of the unindicted presidential candidates of the Republican Party for a debate in sunny Miami. But let’s be real, wouldn’t it have been better to keep the pandas and send these jamokes to China? I mean, it’s not rocket science to figure out which is the better trade!

To add insult to injury, MSNBC decided to partner up with various right-wing media platforms and bring back Hugh Hewitt as a moderator. Really, guys? Selling your soul should come with a warning label about the teaser rate. But the real star of the show was Vivek Ramaswamy, who seems to become more repulsive by the hour. He claimed the spotlight, thanks to Nikki Haley, who seems to have a genuine distaste for the Vivster. Their verbal sparring over TikTok felt more like a battle between Smith-Rock climbers than Lincoln-Douglas debaters.

Ramaswamy: She made fun of me for actually joining TikTok while her own daughter was actually using the app for a long time. So you might want to take care of your family first. Haley: Leave my daughter out of your voice.

Nice try, Ms. Haley, but the proper phrase should have been, “Get my daughter’s name out of your mouth.” Well, practice makes perfect, right? But let’s not ignore what she said next.

Haley: “You’re just scum.”

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I nearly sprained my neck from the whiplash reaction to that one!

Later in the debate, when discussing the war in Ukraine, Ramaswamy demonstrated exactly why Haley called him out.

Ukraine is not a paragon of democracy. This is a country that has banned 11 opposition parties. It has consolidated all media into one state TV media arm. That’s not democratic. It has threatened not to hold elections this year unless the U.S. forks over more money. It has celebrated a Nazi in its ranks. The comedian in cargo pants, a man called Zelenskyy, doing it in their own ranks. That is not democratic. Those are the hard facts and sort of framed this as some kind of battle between good versus evil. Don’t buy it.

First of all, Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish. Second, he lost family members in the Holocaust. And third, Nikki Haley is absolutely right. Vivek Ramaswamy is nothing but scum.

Now, brace yourself for the spin attempted by the Ramaswamy campaign to The New York Times:

A spokeswoman for Mr. Ramaswamy, Tricia McLaughlin, said that he had not called Mr. Zelensky a Nazi. Instead, Ms. McLaughlin said, he was referring to an event in September in which Mr. Zelensky visited Canada’s Parliament and joined a standing ovation honoring a 98-year-old Ukrainian Canadian war veteran. The problem, it turned out, was that the veteran, Yaroslav Hunka, had served in a division that was under Nazi control during World War II…But she acknowledged that, without context, the remark could be easily misunderstood. “He was talking quickly and kind of oscillated in his words,” she said.

Oh, please, silly person, just stop talking now.

Beyond this childish spat, the debate served as a reminder that none of these candidates are fit to be elected, nor should any of them be. Most of them were advocating for a second Mexican War, as if one wasn’t enough! And after their despicable stance on reproductive rights the previous night, only Haley had the gall to admit that a nationwide abortion ban is a pipe dream. She was also the only one who displayed a shred of humanity. On the other hand, Tim Scott declared his intention to keep tilting at windmills or should I say, romancing that chicken? It’s clear that none of them truly understand the gravity of the situation. If the GOP miraculously rolls all sevens and a national abortion bill lands on President Nikki Haley’s desk, is there any doubt that she would gleefully sign it? She wears the mark of Dobbs just like the rest of them.

Charles P. Pierce Charles P. Pierce is the author of four books, including Idiot America, and has been a journalist since 1976. He resides near Boston and is the proud parent of three children.

Hey there, Fashionistas!

Did you catch the recent Republican presidential debate in Miami? While we said our tearful goodbyes to the adorable pandas (yes, we shipped them back to China), we were left wondering if we made the wrong choice. I mean, couldn’t we have sent those unindicted presidential candidates to China instead? It’s not exactly a tough call, is it?

But let’s dive into the drama of this debate. MSNBC, known for its impeccable decision-making skills, decided to partner up with various right-wing media platforms and bring back Hugh Hewitt as a moderator. Really? It’s like selling your soul with a special introductory rate! And let’s not forget the star of the show, the repulsive Vivek Ramaswamy. He managed to grab the spotlight, thanks to the genuine disdain shown by Nikki Haley. Their clash over TikTok made us feel like we were watching a battle between rival rock climbers instead of a serious political debate.

Things got heated when Ramaswamy accused Haley of making fun of him for joining TikTok, while her daughter was an avid user. But Haley fired back with a killer line that left us doing a double-take: “You’re just scum.” Ouch! I think I need a neck brace after that whiplash-inducing moment.

As if that wasn’t enough, Ramaswamy showed his true colors while discussing the war in Ukraine. He made outrageous claims about the country, conveniently ignoring the fact that Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and lost family members in the Holocaust. We’re with Haley on this one – Ramaswamy is nothing but scum!

Of course, Ramaswamy’s campaign tried to spin his offensive remarks to The New York Times. They claimed he wasn’t calling Zelensky a Nazi, but rather referring to a standing ovation for a 98-year-old Ukrainian Canadian war veteran, who happened to have served in a division under Nazi control during World War II. Nice try, but no one’s buying it. Just stop talking, silly person.

Moving on from the Ramaswamy circus, let’s discuss the overall debate. Frankly, none of these candidates are fit to be elected, and none of them should be. Most of them were advocating for a second Mexican War, as if one wasn’t enough! And after their horrifying stance on reproductive rights the night before, only Haley had the guts to confess that a nationwide abortion ban is nothing more than a pipe dream.

But don’t get us started on Tim Scott, who declared his intention to keep tilting at windmills. Seriously, Tim? We have enough chicken romancing going on in politics already. It’s clear that these candidates still don’t grasp the seriousness of the issues at hand. If, by some twist of fate, a national abortion bill lands on President Nikki Haley’s desk, there’s little doubt she would eagerly sign it. She wears the mark of Dobbs just like the rest of them.

So, there you have it. The debate might have been a wild ride filled with absurdity, but it certainly provided us with laughs and moments of reflection. Now, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Who do you think stood out, and who left you scratching your head? Share your opinions with us in the comments below!

Charles P. Pierce Charles P. Pierce is an experienced journalist and author who has been in the industry for decades. Ranging from his book Idiot America, he continues to provide insightful and engaging commentary. He’s a proud parent of three and resides near the bustling city of Boston.