Fox News is sending a crystal-clear message to GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy after his latest “unhinged” debate performance: It’s time to go.
“Court jester,” one Fox News star described Ramaswamy on Thursday. “A jerk,” another Fox personality called him. “Embarrassing,” the denizens of Fox News’ flagship morning show declared about the White House hopeful.
Just a few months ago, the 38-year-old “anti-woke” biotech entrepreneur had seemingly taken over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ spot as the conservative cable giant’s favored Donald Trump alternative in the Republican presidential primary. At the time, the network, which often acts as the GOP’s de facto comms arm, gushed over his ability to rap Eminem lyrics while touting the media-savvy contender’s rising poll numbers.
However, the debates happened and Ramaswamy’s self-professed “unhinged” strategy—which largely involved insulting the other candidates while cosplaying as 4chan right-wing edgelord—quickly wore out its welcome. Before long, Fox News pivoted its support to a Republican establishment candidate, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, an ex-Trump official.
Despite losing the Fox News support and seeing his poll numbers crater as the first primaries approach, Ramaswamy’s increasingly futile campaign has marched onward. In an apparent attempt to drum up support from the fringe-right who’ve long abandoned Fox for not being MAGA enough, the fame-hungry hedge-funder has even fundraised off his “disaster” interview with Fox star Sean Hannity, who demolished Ramaswamy on the air.
During Wednesday night’s fourth GOP primary debate on NewsNation, Ramaswamy not only doubled down on his past performances, gleefully lobbing schoolyard taunts at Haley and picking fights with other candidates, but he also spouted a litany of tinfoil hat-worthy right-wing conspiracies. His full-throated embrace of the antisemitic “Great Replacement” theory, for instance, drew high praise from notorious white supremacists, including Nick Fuentes.
While Ramaswamy’s debate antics drew widespread criticism from the mainstream press, Fox News made sure to twist the knife come Thursday morning. It all started with Fox & Friends, the morning show that serves as the network’s messaging launching pad.
“Vivek was embarrassing. You know, he just came in too hot once again. He got booed a number of times,” co-host Steve Doocy unequivocally stated, adding that he felt Ramaswamy finished last in the debate.
While criticizing Ramaswamy, MAGA Fox hosts even came to the defense of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has become persona non grata with the pro-Trump crowd due to his overt criticism of the quadruply indicted ex-president.
“I didn’t like that Vivek said to Chris Christie, even though Chris Christie called him an obnoxious blowhard, I didn’t like that Vivek said, ‘Go have a nice meal and get off the stage.’ I thought that was mean,” Doocy’s colleague Ainsley Earhardt remarked. “I think he was attacking him physically.”
Things got especially fiery, though, when Fox & Friends welcomed Ramaswamy on for an interview roughly an hour later, especially when Brian Kilmeade confronted the political newcomer about his stance on Ukraine and Russia.
After Ramaswamy dismissed the notion that Ukraine is a democracy while seemingly conceding that Russia would be welcome to take over parts of Eastern Europe if he were president, Kilmeade criticized the candidate’s lack of foreign policy experience and short-sightedness.
“You sound so naive!” the Fox & Friends star exclaimed. “You just give up Ukraine and then in a few years, you’ll be criticizing Joe Biden for giving up Ukraine.”
The GOP candidate whined that the hosts “would be having a conniption” if he called Haley naive before claiming that Kilmeade was just peddling “neocon wisdom,” prompting the veteran Fox host to once again fire back.
“Well forget ‘neocon wisdom, nobody buys into that,” he fumed, sarcastically noting that Ramaswamy would “just give up Eastern Europe.”
Elsewhere across Fox, the song remained the same. Fox Business anchor Cheryl Casone said she was “very disappointed” in Ramaswamy, especially with his fat-shaming comments about Christie, calling him “rude” and “a jerk.”
By early afternoon, the criticism grew even harsher towards the fast-talking businessman. During the panel show Outnumbered, multiple hosts tore into Ramaswamy’s behavior, claiming it was “unbecoming” of a potential president.
“For candidates who continue to say Americans deserve better as we discuss policy issues, it’s frankly disappointing and unpalatable that we keep being subjected to, what I see, has become behavior as a court jester,” co-host Emily Compagno sighed. “And when Vivek talked about wisdom versus experience, is it hubris, in that he thinks the wisdom is himself? There has to be a line drawn.”
Her fellow panelist Dagen McDowell, meanwhile, likened the acid-tongued White House hopeful to a relative’s annoying mate who has quickly worn out his welcome with the rest of the family.
“He is like your sister’s new boyfriend. You’re excited he’s coming over for Thanksgiving. He’s rich, he’s an entrepreneur, he’s gonna bring some really interesting, expensive food,” McDowell proclaimed. “And you’re coming up on New Year’s Eve, and you’re trying to concoct what kind of illness you’re going to have just so you don’t have to spend the night with him. That’s where we are with him!”
Former Trump press secretary and current Fox News star Kayleigh McEnany, putting the final nail in Ramaswamy’s coffin, added: “Perfect analogy!”
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