Mehdi Hasan suspects “the real” Vivek Ramaswamy was appalled by former President Donald Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Hasan on Sunday spoke with fellow MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin about the former’s viral interview with the GOP presidential candidate last week.
Hasan had asked Ramaswamy about a January 2021 tweet in which he said what Trump did was “downright abhorrent.”
Hasan asked him to explain what Trump did to deserve that description, but Ramaswamy repeatedly avoided answering the question.
On Sunday, Mohyeldin wondered if Ramaswamy was lying back then or now.
“I suspect he’s lying now,” Hasan said. “I suspect the real Vivek Ramaswamy was the one who was genuinely horrified, like we all were, with what happened on January the 6th, but of course, now he’s running for vice president probably.”
“The fact that Trump is praising Vivek tells you everything you need to know about what Vivek’s strategy and end goal is,” he added.
Hasan noted that he and his team had prepped extensively for the interview.
“We did a lot of preparation,” he said. “We had his tax returns. We had his tweets. We read his books. And, you know, he seems upset that we’re quoting his words to him.”
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, has carved out a name for himself in the crowded GOP primary field with his extreme and unconventional views, out-there persona and unwavering support for Trump.
He has also repeatedly mischaracterized his own past comments and positions on various subjects.
Trump offered rare praise for his rival after the first Republican debate, when Ramaswamy called him “the best president of the 21st century.”
“Anybody that said I’m the best president in a generation … I have to like a guy like that,” the four-time-indicted ex-president told Glenn Beck when asked about the political newcomer as a potential running mate.