Staff Reports
In a surprising twist, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy took a stand against former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of fake electors in his ill-fated attempts to overturn the 2020 election. However, Ramaswamy, a self-proclaimed defender of Trump who has even pledged to pardon him if convicted, was quick to highlight the distinction between bad judgment and outright criminality.
These unauthorized slates of electors have become pivotal points in two criminal cases against Trump, marking another chapter in the former president’s legal battles to reverse the election results.
On ABC’s “This Week,” Ramaswamy expressed his disagreement with Trump’s actions, stating, “If I were the U.S. president, I would have never let it get to that place. I would not have nominated phony slates of electors.” Ramaswamy then went on to criticize the ongoing criminal prosecutions against Trump, emphasizing the dangerous precedent it sets.
Drawing a clear line between bad behavior and illegal behavior, the Republican candidate warned against conflating the two, stating, “Once we start conflating those two things, I think we’re on a long, downward slide as a country.”
It’s clear that Ramaswamy’s stance creates a rift in the Republican party as he challenges the actions of the former president. Will this be a turning point in the party’s support of Trump or just a fleeting moment of dissent? Only time will tell.
