Newcomer Ramaswamy was targeted by his GOP rivals in the second debate as they wanted to avoid a repeat of the first debate, wherein the Indian-origin tech entrepreneur stood out amid a no-show from former President Donald Trump.
GOP hopeful Nikki Haley lashed out at fellow Indian-origin candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, saying she feels “dumber” the more she listens to him.
Ramaswamy defended himself for opening a TikTok account after he was persuaded by YouTuber Jake Paul, saying if Republicans needed to win the 2024 polls, they need to reach out to “the next generation of young Americans where they are”.
He was responding to moderator Stuart Varney who asked him if it was presidential to be “easily persuaded by an influencer”.
Haley grabbed the chance and pounced upon Ramaswamy, saying “this is infuriating because TikTok is one of the most dangerous social media apps... Everytime I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber.”
Haley alleged that China is using the data of TikTok's American users. "What they're doing is 150 million people are on TikTok," Fox News quoted Haley as saying. "That means they [China] can get your contacts, can get your financial information, they can get your emails, they can get your text messages. China knows exactly what they are doing and what we've seen is you've gone and helped China make medicines, in China not America, and you're now wanting kids to go get on this social media that dangerous for all of us."
Ramaswamy, accepting that he is a newcomer, told the audience, “Let me level with all of you, I'm the new guy here and so I know I have to earn your trust. What do you see? You see a young man who's in a bit of a hurry, maybe a little ambitious, bit of a know-it-all it seems at times. I'm here to tell you I don't know it all.”
Grabbing another opportunity to target Ramaswamy over his Chinese business, “We can't trust you, we can't trust you.”
Later, Ramaswamy said if he wins the polls, he will surround himself with the "best and brightest" people and will always listen to what others have to say because he is not a "know it all."
"It's a shame that Nikki Haley feels she has to resort to personal attacks in lieu of an actual vision for the country," Ramaswamy spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I'm sure she didn't launch personal attacks in the boardroom at Boeing, and the American people expect the same as part of the electoral process."
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott went after Ramaswamy, pointing out his business ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Talking about his Chinese business connection, Ramaswamy said, “When every other CEO expanded into the Chinese market you know what I did with my first company? We opened a subsidiary in China. But you know what I did that was different than every other company, we got the hell out of there.”
Haley took over and said, “Right before you ran for president!”
Ramaswamy maintained that it was earlier than that and that he “made a commitment we would never do business in China,” according to Daily Mail.
Former VP Mike Pence too piled on Ramaswamy, saying, “Well first let me say I'm glad Vivek pulled out of his business deal in 2018 in China. That must have been about the time he decided to start voting in presidential elections.”
