Watch | Vivek Ramaswamy rattled after being quizzed about Trump criticism and Soros funding

Fresh from the high of the first Republican primary debate last month,presidential nomination hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy was given a stark reality check during an interview withMSNBC host Mehdi Hasan. Asked to explain his own words about Donald Trump's "abhorrent" behaviour that made him a "danger to democracy", Ramaswamy tip-toed around the question, only to be called out on national TV by the host.

Hasan referred to Ramswamy's January 12, 2021 post on X (formerly known as Twitter), six days after the events of the US Capitol Hill riots where the GOP leader attacked Trump andwrote:“What Trump did last week was wrong. Downright abhorrent. Plain and simple."

Using Ramswamy's words as the departure point, Hasan asked, “Is Donald Trump, as you say now, the best president of the 21st century...Or is Trump, as you’ve said in the past, in your books, on Twitter, a ‘sore loser’, who is a ‘danger to democracy’, and who did ‘downright abhorrent’ and egregious things on January 6’? Which one is he, Vivek?”

Hasan was referring to Ramaswamy's statement from the debate last month wherein hedubbed Trump as the best president of the 21st century.

Replying to Hasan's question, a visibly agitated Ramswamy said Trump was the best president of the 21st century, and that he “would have made the same judgments that he has made every step of the way”.

Hasan interjected and said:“You say he behaved in downright abhorrent behaviour that makes him a danger to democracy. Downright.”

While Ramswamy pointed to a Wall Street column, suggesting“censorship was the real cause of what happened on January 6”, Hasan stayed on the question:“What did Donald Trump do that in your view was downright abhorrent? Second time I’ve asked that.”

“The thing that I would have done differently if I were in his shoes, I would have declared re-election on January 7," Ramaswamy replied.

Hasan said: “That’s not what I asked, Vivek. What did Trump do that was egregious, quote, ‘downright abhorrent’ and a danger to democracy? Can you just explain to our viewers your words?”

Ramaswamy's Soros connection

In another part of the interview, Hasan ripped into Ramaswamy for the $50,000 scholarship the GOP leader took from the Soros family to study at Yale Law School at the age of 24.

Ramaswamy on multiple platforms previously claimed he had no money for admission. However, Hasan pulled his tax records and said the Republican had "already made over a million dollars at the time".

To which, Ramaswamy replied: "My question for you is: why on earth are you, as an intelligent person interested in politics, obsessing over a 24-year-old's $50,000 scholarship?It would seem beneath you."

"I think it's pathetic. I think it's sad and pathetic that we have important issues to talk about, for the future of the country. And you're talking about a $50,000 scholarship in 2010 to go to Yale Law School when I was 24," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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