Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has voiced an opposing stance on former Vice President Mike Pence’s actions during the Jan 6 electoral vote count.
What Happened: According to The Hill, Ramaswamy believes Pence missed a “historic opportunity” to play a unifying role during the contentious Jan 6, 2021, electoral vote certification. He expressed these views during an NBC "Meet the Press" interview.
While he sidestepped the question about Pence’s actions during a recent debate, Ramaswamy, when asked on NBC, claimed he would have handled the situation differently. He elaborated that Pence missed an opportunity to “reunite this country in that window.”
“I would have done it very differently,” said Ramaswamy. “I think that there was a historic opportunity that he missed to reunite this country in that window."
Ramaswamy advocates for a “true national consensus” with secure elections and peaceful power transfer. He proposed measures like single-day voting, paper ballots, and government-issued ID matching to ensure election integrity.
After Jan 6, Pence received intense backlash from Trump and his supporters for disregarding Trump’s requests to challenge the electoral votes favoring President Biden. However, most candidates on the debate stage supported Pence’s actions, setting Ramaswamy apart with his differing views.
Why It Matters: Ramaswamy has always been vocal about his views, even when they diverge from mainstream GOP stances. As reported by Benzinga in August in August 2023, Ramaswamy stood by Trump during his third indictment, contrasting with Pence’s emphasis on constitutional adherence.
In another Benzinga report later that month, Ramaswamy underscored his and Trump’s significance in the GOP primaries, dismissing the relevance of other candidates.
His stance on Pence’s Jan 6 actions aligns with his previous defenses of Trump, as seen in his criticisms of “establishment Republicans” celebrating Trump’s legal troubles, as reported in mid in mid-August.
This divergence from mainstream GOP views marks Ramaswamy’s unique position within the party, often resulting in clashes with established figures like Pence. The two have previously sparred over 9/11.
Photo by Consolidated News Photos on Shutterstock
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