Ramaswamy spars with Hannity over Israel and Nikki Haley

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Fox News host Sean Hannity got into a heated spat during a Thursday evening interview over Ramaswamy’s criticism of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group that launched a surprise attack against Israel on Saturday.

Part of the discussion centered on Ramaswamy calling out fellow 2024 GOP rivals, including former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, in previous comments he made to Tucker Carlson in an interview released on Tuesday.

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“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,” he told Carlson. “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.”

“I don’t think she’s a child,” he also said about Haley. “I think that she is somebody that, like many politicians in a position to get wealthier from war.”

Hannity brought up the Carlson interview with Ramaswamy to ask for further clarification. “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 responded.

“You do this in every single interview,” Hannity quipped back. “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?”

“I am owning what I say,” said Ramaswamy before calling the attacks against Israel “barbaric.”

“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 continued. “What are financial corrupting influences that Nikki Haley is taking a position on?”

As Ramaswamy attempted to respond, Hannity told him, “Answer the question!”

Ramaswamy later took another swipe at Haley when he said he didn’t believe that “somebody should be able to be the next commander in chief if they have monetized their time in government.”

“A lot of people don’t think you’re qualified because you weren’t even a Republican or voting Republican until what? 2020?” Hannity shot back.

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After the interview, Ramaswamy took to social media to continue hammering Hannity.

“For years, @seanhannity has railed against “fake news.” I guess he’s become it. My comments about lobbyists were about Azerbaijan, not Israel. This interview was sponsored by @NikkiHaley,” he posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.