Ramaswamy, Christie to appear separately on Fox News after RNC debate ban threat

Republican presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie will appear separately Tuesday during “Special Report,” Fox News’s nightly evening newscast, after being threatened with a ban from participating in future GOP debates if they appeared jointly on the network.

Bret Baier, the network’s chief political anchor, during Monday’s broadcast announced his show had plans to debut a new segment loosely titled “candidates corner” and feature Ramaswamy and Christie as its first guests.

Minutes before Baier made the announcement on air, Ramaswamy wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he had “agreed to spar” with Christie on “Special Report” the next day.

A person familiar with conversations between the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the candidates’ campaigns told Politico Tuesday that the candidates were told by the RNC that if they went through with a joint appearance on Fox, they would be forbidden from participating in future committee-sanctioned debates.

Tuesday morning, Christie wrote on X that he and Ramaswamy “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,” calling the decision “disappointing.”

Ramaswamy echoed Christie’s outrage, writing that, “last week’s RNC debate was a disgrace, and I’m starting to believe that was by design.”

“This is what a brokered and rigged nomination process looks like,” Ramaswamy said.

A copy of a pledge signed by both Ramaswamy and Christie when they declared their candidacy for the GOP nomination, which was obtained by The Hill, states that both candidates acknowledged and accepted that if they “participate in any debate that has not been sanctioned by the RNC, I will not be eligible to participate in any further Republican National Committee sanctioned debates.”

In a statement on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the RNC said “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 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,” the spokesperson said.

Ramaswamy and Christie remain scheduled to appear separately on “Special Report” Tuesday.

The two GOP hopefuls both trail former President Trump, who has skipped the first two Republican debates, citing his large polling lead.

Trump’s campaign has separately called on the RNC to cancel all future debate plans and rally around the former president as its nominee.

— Updated 3:42 p.m.

Tags 2024 presidential election Bret Baier Chris Christie Donald Trump Vivek Ramaswamy

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed..

 

Main Area Top ↴

Testing Homepage Widget

 

Main Area Middle ↴

Article Bin Elections 2024

Canada will reduce immigration targets as Trudeau acknowledges his policy failed
Israeli strike on Gaza shelter kills 17 as Blinken says cease-fire talks will resume
Middle East latest: Blinken in Doha to discuss Gaza cease-fire with Qatari officials
A car bomb explodes outside a police station in western Mexico, wounding 3 officers
Mozambique’s ruling party candidate declared winner of presidential election as rigging claims swirl
Putin ends BRICS summit that sought to expand Russia’s global clout but was shadowed by Ukraine
Turkey strikes Kurdish militant targets in Syria and Iraq for a second day
Massive displacement from Israel-Hezbollah war transforms Beirut’s famed commercial street
Canada’s Trudeau vows lead his Liberal Party into the next election
Russian lawmakers ratify pact with North Korea as US confirms that Pyongyang sent troops to Russia
Train carrying 55 people derails on Norway’s north coast, killing at least 1 person and injuring 4
Trash carried by a North Korean balloon again falls on the presidential compound in Seoul
Britain’s leaders likely to face slavery reparations questions at a summit of former colonies
The Paris conference for Lebanon raises $1 billion in pledges for humanitarian and military support
Venice extends its day-tripper tax through next year to combat overtourism
More AP International

Image 2024 Elections

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, stands on stage with Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, after speaking during the Republican National Convention, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, stands on stage with Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, after speaking during the Republican National Convention, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Most Popular

Load more

Video

See all Video