The Republican National Committee has warned former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy that they would be banned from any future RNC debates if they participate in a joint appearance on Fox News.
The warning to the two Republican presidential candidates was told to Politico Tuesday by a person who was familiar with the conversation with the two candidates. Mr. Christie and Mr. Ramaswamy will now appear on Fox separately.
When signing on to participate in an RNC debate, candidates must sign a pledge saying that they agree to support the eventual Republican nominee. They are also not able to participate in any non-RNC sanctioned debates for the rest of 2024.
A copy of the pledge, seen by The Washington Times, says that both candidates “acknowledge and accept that if I fail to sign this pledge or if I participate in any debate that has not been sanctioned by the Republican National Committee, I will not be eligible to participate in any further Republican National Committee sanctioned debates.”
Both Mr. Christie and Mr. Ramaswamy had posted on X Monday saying that they would be participating in a sit down with Fox News host Bret Baier on “Special Report” on Tuesday night. When they received the warning, they once again took to the social media platform.
“Voters need more information not less. Our Party needs more debate and in-depth discussions not less,” Mr. Christie wrote. “This is common sense and the bedrock of our Republic. When the RNC stops conversations between candidates from happening, that is real cause for concern.”
“One of the main things that @VivekGRamaswamy and I agree on is the right of the American public to fully hear and understand what each candidate believes and with as little filter as possible. I appreciate @VivekGRamaswamy’s willingness to engage in that conversation with me.”
Mr. Christie also said he was “disappointed” that they 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.”
Mr. Ramaswamy also responded by saying 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,” he wrote. “I disagree like hell with @GovChristie, but when they asked me to face off with him, I said I’d be a man and do it — before the RNC intervened to cut it off.”
“Instead of allowing open dialogue and the airing of ideas to give primary voters a real choice, the Establishment would rather cut backroom deals and offer up phony debates, including candidates with no viable path and questions that no voters would ever ask.”
He accused the RNC of running a “broken process.”
In a statement, an RNC spokesperson said that, “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 third RNC debate is set to take place in Miami on Nov. 8.
The campaign of former President Donald Trump has already announced that he will not be participating, and in a statement released by campaign senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita Monday, they called for the RNC to cancel the third debate and end all future debates.
“The Republican National Committee should immediately cancel the upcoming debate in Miami and end all future debates in order to refocus its manpower and money on preventing Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election,” the advisors wrote. “Anything less, along with other reasons not to cancel, are an admission to the grassroots that their concerns about voter integrity are not taken seriously and national Republicans are more concerned about helping Joe Biden than ensuring a safe and secure election.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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