Never Back Down, the political action committee supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bid for president, trolled competitor Vivek Ramaswamy after he inaccurately recalled constitutional history in the first GOP primary debate. The PAC insinuated that the newcomer might need a civics lesson a la a DeSantis presidency, which the governor says would “increase civic understanding and knowledge of our constitution.”
In the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday evening, entrepreneur and author Ramaswamy stated that the Constitution is “the strongest guarantor of freedom in human history. That is what won us the American Revolution.” In a statement posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the PAC said, “The U.S. Constitution did not win us the American Revolution, it came years later. Vivek Ramaswamy is mistaken.”
From left: Former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, chairman and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, appear during the Republican primary debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday.. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty)
“@RonDeSantis will fix civics education in our country!” the PAC wrote.
The Constitution was ratified in 1788. The American Revolution formally ended in 1783 with ratification of the Treaty of Paris.
First-time candidate Ramaswamy took heat from several GOP contenders on the debate stage Wednesday night. In addition to the founding document faux pas, foreign policy appeared to be a liability for him after fielding attacks from multiple candidates on the issue.
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley tore into Ramaswamy over his foreign policy takes, from the Russian war against Ukraine to his critical posture toward Israel, saying his inexperience “shows.”
Entrepreneur and 2024 presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy raps after doing a Fair Side Chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2023. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
“He wants to hand Ukraine to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan, he wants to go and stop funding Israel. You don’t do that to friends, what you do instead is you have the backs of your friends,” Haley said.
Ramaswamy responded, “Our relationship with Israel would never be stronger than by the end of my first term, but it’s not a client relationship, it’s a friendship, and you know what friends do? Friends help each other stand on their own two feet.”
Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during a SiriusXM Town Hall Meeting at the Centre Theater, in Philadelphia on June 20, 2023. (Lisa Lake/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
“You know what I love about them? I love their border policies, I love their tough-on-crime policies, I love that they have a national identity and an Iron Dome to protect their homeland, so, yes, I want to learn from the friends that we’re supporting,” Ramaswamy added.
“No, you want to cut the aid off, and let me tell you, it’s not that Israel needs America, it’s that America needs Israel. They’re on the front line of defense to Iran,” Haley retorted, drawing applause form the crowd.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
The person who most enjoyed the first Republican debate was undoubtedly former President Donald Trump. By not participating in the forum, he stayed above the fray, and what a fray it was. The night was full of acrimony and sloppiness; verbal punches were thrown but few landed. Humor and humility took the night off. The eight candidates who gathered in Milwaukee have in common that they are massively trailing the former president; nothing that took place on the debate stage will turn that around.
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy had substantial momentum coming into the GOP debate in Milwaukee. In just two hours, he blew that advantage, and — most probably — any chance he might have had of securing the nomination. He appeared smart-alecky and disrespectful of his fellow contestants; he interrupted constantly and displayed none of the sobriety and substance so needed by a 38-year-old eager to convince voters he belongs in the Oval Office.
Ramaswamy on several occasions boasted of being the only political novice on the stage, derisively describing his fellow candidates as PAC-puppets; he also insulted the group by describing them as “bought and paid for.” The lack of civility was shocking, at odds with Ramaswamy’s trademark sunniness. During the first break, he must have heard his attacks were not resonating with the audience, since he subsequently toned down the hubris, but the damage was done.
Nikki Haley, as expected, went after Ramaswamy on numerous fronts and especially on foreign policy. On the contest with Ukraine and on other issues too, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor summoned facts and experience to lend her credibility.
She was passionate but not emotional — a difficult balance for female candidates. Similarly, she stood her ground but did not come across as harsh — another challenging dynamic for women in politics.
If Ramaswamy was the biggest loser of the night, Haley was the biggest winner. Tough on national security and securing the border, smart about education, she was also the only candidate to stake out a winning position on abortion.
If Ramaswamy was the biggest loser of the night, Haley was the biggest winner.
Though she declares herself proudly pro-life, she also acknowledges that Republicans must respect the deeply personal nature of the issue and find a middle path. Haley laid out an approach that includes making contraception universally available, encouraging adoption, banning late-term abortions and stopping the demonization of the issue.
It was an important night for the Haley campaign, which has failed to gain traction in recent months; it could prove a turning point.
Chris Christie also turned in a solid performance, despite being loudly booed by the audience for disparaging former President Trump. Of all the contestants, he seemed the most relaxed and drew on substantial personal achievements while serving as a federal prosecutor and as governor of New Jersey to make his case.
Christie’s finest moment came during his final remarks when he reminded the audience of how hard — and rare — it is to unseat an incumbent Democrat, a feat he accomplished when he defeated Jon Corzine to become governor of New Jersey in 2009. As he recalled, the last Republican to beat an incumbent Democrat president was a governor of a blue state; that, of course, was Ronald Reagan, who beat Jimmy Carter in 1980. Still, the odds of Christie advancing in the race are slim. The vast majority of Republicans still support Trump, and Christie has made it clear that he is bitterly opposed to the former president’s re-election.
Indeed, with Trump now commanding a 40-point lead in the primary race, and enjoying widespread loyalty among Republicans, all candidates needed to break through and give voters a reason to choose them over the former president. No one achieved that kind of success on Wednesday night.
The candidate who most needed a leap forward was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose campaign has been in free fall for weeks. Though the Florida governor made no drastic missteps, he looked awkward and uncomfortable. He failed to answer most of the questions directed to him, instead doggedly inserting pre-prepared sound-bites that rarely met the moment.
The worst moment for DeSantis came when the moderators asked the candidates to indicate whether they would support Trump for president, should he win the nomination. Everyone but Christie and Asa Hutchinson signaled support for the former president; DeSantis raised his hand only after seeming to look left and right for reassurance. Viewers took note.
Tim Scott was unexpectedly subdued during the debate, which was unfortunate. His normal good cheer and faith in our country is a tonic in these bitter political times.
Others on the stage included North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who had torn his Achilles tendon that morning playing basketball with his staff. Considering his recent visit to the emergency room, he can be excused for having failed to excite the crowd. Like former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Burgum is unlikely to go far.
The other major player was former Vice President Mike Pence, who, contrasted especially with Ramaswamy, was the grown-up in the room. He had a decent night and doubtless appealed to conservatives who applaud his hard line on abortion and on national security issues, but his religiosity limits his reach.
Viewers hoping to find a candidate capable of pushing Donald Trump out of the race were likely disappointed. Perhaps the evening will convince Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin to throw his hat in the ring. Without a doubt, there is an opening.
Liz Peek is a Fox News contributor and former partner of major bracket Wall Street firm Wertheim & Company. A former columnist for the Fiscal Times, she writes for The Hill and contributes frequently to Fox News, the New York Sun and other publications. For more visit LizPeek.com. Follow her on Twitter @LizPeek.
A letter from attorneys representing Tucker Carlson accused Fox News of fraud and breach of contract weeks after he left the cable news channel.
Sources told Axios that the letter was sent to Fox News before Carlson posted an announcement on Twitter that he would be continuing his show in a new format on the popular social media platform.
Carlson’s attorneys argued that Fox News promised not to settle with Dominion Voting Systems in a way that would “indicate wrongdoing” on his part. They also accused the network of leaking “his private communications to the media.”
Accusing Fox News of breach of contract would allow Carlson to argue that his announcement to broadcast a show on Twitter would not be breaking the contract.
“Starting soon, we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” he said in the video posted to Twitter.
“We’ll be bringing some other things too, which we’ll tell you about. But for now we’re just grateful to be here. Free speech is the main right that you have,” he added. “Without it, you have no others.”
Carlson’s contract with Fox News runs until January 2025, which would prevent him from any new media endeavor. He has already received numerous offers from other media outlets.
A separate report said that Carlson was floating the idea of moderating a presidential debate and that he had already talked to former President Donald Trump about the possibility.
Dominion Voting Systems told Axios that it did not insist on Carlson’s firing as a part of the settlement made with Fox News worth about $787.5 million.
Here’s more about Carlson leaving Fox News:
Tucker Carlson’s POWERFUL message after leaving Fox News www.youtube.com
[Ed. Note: This article has been updated with additional information.]
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Image source: YouTube video, The Heritage Foundation – Screenshot
Tucker Carlson may have been given the boot at Fox News over his emphasis on the importance of prayer and his suggestion that America is not presently afflicted by bad politics, but rather by the forces of evil.
Carlson gave a keynote speech Friday at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th anniversary gala in Maryland wherein he stressed that the old political binary fails to account for the division presently afflicting America. Instead, it can be better understood in theological or spiritual terms as a battle of good versus evil, suggested the 53-year-old.
An unnamed source reportedly briefed on Fox Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch’s decision-making told Vanity Fair that Carlson was ousted largely over the speech on account of its religious overtones.
“That stuff freaks Rupert out,” said the insider. “He doesn’t like all the spiritual talk.”
The offending speech
Carlson, whose journalism career started at the Heritage Foundation, told a crowd of around 2,000 that recent trends — such as the DEI and ESG initiatives that have swept big business or the medical tyranny that swept the nation along with COVID-19 — exposed not just cowardice but the strength of the herd instinct.
“The herd instinct is maybe the strongest instinct,” said Carlson. “It may be stronger than the hunger and sex instincts, actually. The instinct, which again is inherent, to be like everybody else and not to be cast out of the group, not to be shunned — that’s a very strong impulse in all of us from birth. And it takes over, unfortunately, in moments like this, and it’s harnessed, in fact, by bad people in moments like this to produce uniformity.”
The former Fox News host cited the LGBT movement’s incoherent speech codes and the efforts by many to contort to satisfy them as an example of herd instinct trumping rational and independent thinking.
Many Americans have surmounted this instinct, however, argued Carlson.
“There is a countervailing force at work always. There is a counterbalance to the badness. It’s called goodness. And you see it in people,” he said. “So for every ten people who are putting ‘he and him’ in their electronic JPMorgan email signatures, there’s one person who’s like, ‘No, I’m not doing that. Sorry, I don’t want to fight but I’m not, like, doing that. That’s a betrayal of what I think is true. It’s a betrayal of my conscience, of my faith, of my sense of myself, of my dignity as a human being, of my autonomy – I am not a slave, I am a free citizen, and I’m not doing that. And there’s nothing that you can do to me to make me do it. And I hope it won’t come to that, but if it does come to that, here I am.Here I am. It’s Paul on trial. Here I am.’”
Carlson noted that during COVID and in the face of other recent “herd” events, there was no predicting who would ultimately stand up, but sure enough, people of various makeups and political persuasions ultimately did. When they did stand up to defend one truth, Carlson suggested the defiant frequently found themselves aggregating and defending additional truths.
“The truth is contagious,” said Carlson. “And the second you decide to tell the truth about something, you are filled with this – I don’t want to get supernatural on you – but you are filled with this power from somewhere else. Try it. Tell the truth about something. … The more you tell the truth, the stronger you become.”
He added that the reverse is also true: “The more you lie, the weaker and more terrified you become.”
Carlson took a more explicit theological view toward the end of his speech, when he suggested that whatever coherent binary that may have existed that was centered on a common vision of America is far gone, rendering useless the analytical framework that many still use to try to make sense of it.
“There is no way to assess, say, the transgenderist movement with that mindset. Policy papers don’t account for it at all. If you have people who are saying, ‘I have an idea: Let’s castrate the next generation. Let’s sexually mutilate children.’ I’m sorry, that’s not a political debate … but the weight of the government [and] a lot of corporate interests are behind that.”
Carlson intimated that the irrationality of leftist politics puts it outside the realm of politics and into the realm of spiritual warfare.
“If you’re telling me that abortion is a positive good, what are you saying? Well, you’re arguing for child sacrifice, obviously. … When the treasury secretary stands up and says, ‘You know what you can do to help the economy? Get an abortion.’ Well, that’s like an Aztec principle, actually.”
Carlson stressed that abortion zealotry, like the transgenderist movement, is a theological phenomenon.
Tucker Carlson’s speech over the weekend was powerful. Too powerful apparently. pic.twitter.com/sxncP26Tda
“None of this makes sense in conventional political terms. When people or crowds of people … decide that the goal is to destroy things, destruction for its own sake – hey, let’s tear it down – what you’re watching is not a political movement; it’s evil.”
“I’m merely calling for an acknowledgment of what we’re watching,” said Carlson.
The former Fox News host ended the speech the way he began: imploring his audience to pray: “Maybe we should all take just like ten minutes a day to say a prayer about it … and I hope you will.”
The offended sensibilities
The insider suggested that Murdoch “was perhaps unnerved by Carlson’s messianism because it echoed the end-times worldview of Murdoch’s ex-fiancée Ann Lesley Smith.”
Vanity Fair previously reported that Murdoch and Smith, originally slated to marry this summer, allegedly called it off because the 92-year-old had grown “increasingly uncomfortable with Smith’s outspoken evangelical views.”
In March, Murdoch, Smith, and Carlson reportedly had dinner together, during which Smith and Carlson discussed religion. At one point, Murdoch’s then-fiancée opened the Bible and read passages from the book of Exodus.
A source close to the Fox Corp. chair said, “Rupert just sat there and stared.”
According the source, Smith “said Tucker Carlson is a messenger from God, and [Murdoch] said nope.”
Just days after the dinner with Carlson, Murdoch kicked Smith to the curb.
Gabriel Sherman, writing for Vanity Fair, noted that this was just one of many “erratic decisions [Murdoch] has made of late that raises questions about Murdoch’s leadership of his media empire.”
Claremont fellow Megan Basham responded to the allegation that Carlson’s religious overtones had something to do with his firing, writing, “The world is fine with talk of faith when it is soft and toothless. It is the faith that recognizes acts of good and evil that offends them.”
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh tweeted, “Fox hired Caitlyn Jenner because he’s trans and fired Tucker Carlson because he’s religious. That’s your ‘conservative’ news network.”
FULL SPEECH: Tucker Carlson’s Last Address Before Leaving Fox News at #Heritage50 youtu.be
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Harris Faulkner announces Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News. FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways, the network announced on Monday.
“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” a FOX News Media spokesperson said in a statement.
An interim program, “Fox News Tonight,” will air at 8 p.m. ET until a permanent replacement for Carlson is named. “Fox News Tonight” will be hosted by a rotation of various Fox News personalities.
The last edition of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” aired on Friday, April 21. The show began airing in 2016.
FOX News media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways, the network announced on Monday. (Fox News)
Before the launch of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Carlson was co-host of “FOX & Friends Weekend” from 2012 through 2016.
Carlson previously served as an MSNBC host from 2005-2008 and also appeared on CNN earlier in his career. He founded The Daily Caller in 2010, but sold his stake in the political news website in 2020.
Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to brian.flood@fox.com and on Twitter: @briansflood.
CNN host Brian Stelter was seemingly left surprised on Sunday after a guest on “Reliable Sources” bucked his narrative on White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s alleged insult of reporter Peter Doocy.
In January, President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic calling Doocy, a White House correspondent for Fox News, a “stupid son of a b****.”
During an interview on the left-wing podcast “Pod Save America” last week, Psaki was asked whether she agrees with Biden’s insult.
“He works for a network that provides people with questions that, nothing personal to any individual including Peter Doocy, but might make anyone sound like a stupid son of a b****,” Psaki responded, adding that she appreciated how Doocy handled Biden’s insult with “grace.”
Whereas Stelter defended Psaki, Lynn Sweet, Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, condemned Psaki for being unprofessional.
“She got lulled into losing her discipline. This podcast is made by her friends. They go back to the Kerry campaign. They worked in the Obama White House,” Sweet said.
“She was forgetting what her real job is, which is to communicate on behalf of the president. OK? She even repeated some of the swear words that the questioner asked in the question, upping the ante,” she added
After commending Psaki for acknowledging Doocy’s “grace,” Sweet said, “One other quick thing: It’s not a negative to consult your colleagues on what question to ask.”
Stelter responded to Sweet’s remarks with a puzzled look, only uttering, “Hmm, right,” before moving on.
“So, they’re defending his honor.”@brianstelter a few days ago was smirking at Fox’s “outrage” and implying Fox’s defense of Doocy was untrue and Psaki’s comment was fine.
However on Sunday @lynnsweet had a “little different view,” saying Psaki “was forgetting what her real job is,” and she appeared to catch @brianstelter off-guard in saying, “it’s not a negative to consult your colleagues on what question to ask.”
Last Friday, Stelter defended Psaki and suggested that Doocy is a puppet for Fox News, the exact point that Sweet chided last.
“I think the point she’s trying to say there is that Fox pushes storylines that are sometimes nonsense. Doocy does that in the briefing room,” Stelter said.
“I think Jen Psaki’s like — remember in senior year, spring of your senior year, you’re about to graduate and you’re just tired of all this? I think we’re seeing that from Jen Psaki,” Stelter went on to say. “She’s about to leave the White house. She’s going to go to a job likely at MSNBC, so she’s kind of relaxing and maybe sharing how she really feels.”
“But, to be fair, she didn’t really criticize [Doocy] directly,” Stelter excused. “She was really criticizing Fox News as an organization.”
American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
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American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
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American Family Association
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American Family Association
American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by Donald E. Wildmon, who was the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi, at the time. Since 1977, AFA has been on the frontlines of Ame
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