Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate, has vehemently denied allegations made by Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), that he once voted for former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Ramaswamy, an Indian-American entrepreneur from Ohio, took to social media to label McDaniel’s claim as a blatant falsehood and reiterated his demand for her resignation.
“I’ve never voted for Obama in my life,” Ramaswamy said.
This denial came after Ramaswamy accused McDaniel of vowing not to allocate any funding to his campaign. He claimed that this decision was made following his criticism of her during the third Republican presidential debate. The debate, which took place in Miami, Florida, was held at the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on November 8, 2023.
During this debate, Ramaswamy criticized the Republican establishment, blaming it for the party’s recent electoral losses. He specifically targeted McDaniel, who has been the RNC Chair since 2017; for the party’s defeats in 2018, 2020 and 2022; and the recent 2023 off-year elections.
“Since Ronna McDaniel took over as chairwoman of the RNC in 2017, we have lost 2018, 2020, 2022,” he said. “We got trounced last night in 2023, and I think that we have to have accountability in our party.”
Ramaswamy’s comments reflect a growing sentiment within the Republican Party that calls for a reassessment of its leadership and strategies, especially in the wake of recent electoral setbacks. His remarks underscore the need for accountability and change within the party’s ranks.
In response to these allegations, the RNC directed inquiries to a statement that refuted McDaniel’s reported remarks about withholding financial support from Ramaswamy’s campaign. McDaniel, in her defense, focused on the need for the party to concentrate on domestic issues such as the border and fentanyl crisis, crime, U.S. families and defeating President Joe Biden.
“I’m not running for anything, so let’s focus on Joe Biden and beating the Democrats,” she said.
McDaniel also dismissed Ramaswamy’s call for her resignation, suggesting that his low polling numbers were the reason behind his need for attention.
“We’re a federal committee, so we weren’t involved in those races on Tuesday,” Ms. McDaniel said. “I know Vivek is kind of newer to the party. He voted for Obama, so he may not know that, but this is something we’re going to have to get right … as a party.”
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