RNC Threatens to Ban Ramaswamy, Christie From Next GOP Debate for Unsanctioned Dialogue

(L–R) North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former South Carolina Gov. and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and former Vice President Mike Pence at the second Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. on Sept. 27, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images

GOP presidential hopefuls Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie have been threatened with expulsion from future debates by the Republican National Committee (RNC) after the duo decided to hold a discussion on Fox News.

“The GOP needs more actual argument on substance, not fake one-liners. I agreed to spar with [Chris Christie] tomorrow for a full hour on Fox at 6pm,” Mr. Ramaswamy wrote in an Oct. 3 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Mr. Christie confirmed the meeting.

It was later revealed that the RNC threatened to ban them from the next GOP primary debate if they took part in the discussion.

“It is very disappointing that we were threatened with exclusion from the Miami debate and future debates for trying to have a more complete dialogue with each other and the voters,” Mr. Christie wrote in an Oct. 3 post on X.

“Every campaign was offered that opportunity by Fox News and they have now been effectively banned by the RNC. I am always up for those discussions—it’s a shame the RNC and [Donald Trump] aren’t.”

He stressed the need for the GOP to have “more debates and in-depth discussion, not less.” He praised Mr. Ramaswamy for his willingness to engage with him.

“When the RNC stops conversations between candidates from happening, that is real cause for concern,” Mr. Christie said.

In response to the RNC threat, Mr. Ramaswamy said the second GOP debate was a “disgrace” and that he’s beginning to believe that it was done “by design.”

“This is what a brokered and rigged nomination process looks like,” he wrote in a post on X.

“Instead of allowing open dialogue and the airing of ideas to give primary voters a real choice, the Establishment would rather cut backroom deals and offer up phony debates, including candidates with no viable path and questions that no voter would ever ask.

“It’s pathetic that the Super PAC puppet masters have now ‘summoned’ their favored Establishment puppets to broker a path to defeating Trump instead of allowing GOP voters to make a real choice on their own by hearing directly from candidates. Republican voters deserve better than this broken process.”

In order to take part in the GOP presidential debates, potential candidates must sign a pledge agreeing that they won’t take part in any debate during the campaign that isn’t sanctioned by the RNC.

A spokesperson from the RNC criticized Mr. Christie and Mr. Ramaswamy for speaking out against the committee.

“The same candidates complaining about the rules governing RNC debates all signed a pledge and agreed months ago to not participate in unsanctioned debates,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“The RNC will continue to enact a fair, transparent debate process and we will not give in to pressure from individuals seeking to change the rules to favor their candidacy.”

Ramaswamy Versus Christie

There have been two GOP presidential debates so far. Both Mr. Christie and Mr. Ramaswamy have been at loggerheads on several issues, with their conflict evident during the events.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

In the first GOP debate, Mr. Christie compared Mr. Ramaswamy to ChatGPT. When Mr. Ramaswamy called former President Donald Trump the “best president of the 21st century,” Mr. Christie responded by saying, “You make me laugh.”

In the second debate, the two disagreed on the Ukraine issue. Mr. Christie spoke in favor of continued U.S. support for Ukraine, while Mr. Ramaswamy called for ending the support and seeking a peace deal with Russia.

President Trump didn’t take part in either debate. The third debate is scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami and will have stricter participation requirements.

In the first debate, a candidate needed to secure 1 percent support in three national polls or 1 percent in two national polls and two early state polls. For the third debate, this has been upped to 4 percent in two national polls or 4 percent in one national poll and 4 percent in two early state polls.

Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina are classified as “early states.” While the first debate required participants to secure 40,000 unique donors, the third one has raised the bar to at least 70,000 unique donors.

During the second GOP debate, multiple candidates called out President Trump for not taking part in the discussions. President Trump said he skipped the events because of the large lead he enjoys in polls.

The Trump campaign has called on the RNC to “immediately cancel” the Nov. 8 debate in Miami and all future debates so as to “refocus its manpower and money on preventing Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election,” according to a statement from campaign senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita.

“Anything less, along with other reasons not to cancel, are an admission to the grassroots that their concerns about voter integrity are not taken seriously and national Republicans are more concerned about helping Joe Biden than ensuring a safe and secure election,” the statement reads.

In a Sept. 29 post on X, InteractivePolls stated that President Trump posted the “biggest lead yet” over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following the second debate.

President Trump received 63 percent support, and Mr. DeSantis was far back with only 12 percent, followed by Mr. Ramaswamy with 7 percent, former Vice President Mike Pence with 5 percent, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley with 5 percent, and Mr. Christie with 3 percent.