Vivek Ramaswamy sparred with with CNN’s Dana over his assertion during the debate that federal law enforcement, and other elements of the government hostile to former President Trump, instigated the Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021. During the debate he challenged his fellow Republican primary candidates to be more open to questioning the government’s official narrative – posing the question: “Why am I the only person on this stage this state, at least, who can can say that January 6th now does look like was an inside job.”
Bash kicked off the post-debate spin room exchange with Ramaswamy, bluntly claiming: “There is no evidence that is is an inside job. It was a fringe was a fringe conspiracy theory that Trump appointed FBI director Christopher Ray has said explicitly, over-and-over, is just not true.” Nonplussed, Ramaswamy pushed back: “Looking at the facts of the video footage that have come out, it is shocking that you still haven’t gotten a clear answer as to how many federal agents were in the field that day.”
Ramaswamy pointed Bash to U.S. Capitol security camera footage made public by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) which indicate federal law enforcement deployed dangerous crowd dispersal tactics against the mass of protestors prior to the riot. Footage also shows police opening doors to let protestors into the Capitol, later declared a “crime” for which many have faced prosecution.
“That is a case of entrapment,” Ramaswamy told Bash.
The interview continued for more several minutes with Bash appearing increasingly confused. The CNN anchor incorrectly argued “an inside job” suggests all of the protestors who rioted and entered the Capitol were either federal agents or acting the government’s behalf.
WATCH:
Post-Debate Fireworks: @VivekGRamaswamy got into a heated spin room exchange with CNN’s Dana Bash over Vivek’s characterization of J6 as an “inside job."
Bash starts by labeling Vivek’s claims as a “fringe conspiracy theory."
Vivek: “If you’d asked me three years ago if J6 was… pic.twitter.com/IErRErEFLe
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) December 7, 2023
