Ramaswamy breaks with Republican doctrine on foreign policy, and stirs up opposition before the first debate

Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has seen a huge boost in the polls, outperforming politicians entrenched on the federal government’s reform program to root out “vigilance”. However, he has now transferred his anti-establishment message to foreign policy — and sparked a backlash along the way he is likely to face onstage at Wednesday’s first Republican National Committee primary debate.

ABC News has revised some of Ramaswamy’s recent statements to clarify how he plans to handle foreign policy if elected president.

Ukraine and Russia

And in recent days, Ramaswamy has reiterated his view that Washington’s support for Ukraine is not in America’s interest.

Ramaswamy said he would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to keep parts of Ukraine under Moscow’s control in exchange for severing ties with China, telling ABC News that “the military alliance between China and Russia is the single biggest military threat to the United States” and it was necessary. It must be dismantled — a move he views as bipartisan “pro-American politics.”

“I’m going to ensure that I’m not a wartime president by actually de-escalating. And making sure we’re in a position to dismantle this alliance, make a deal that yes, Vladimir Putin will do because he’s coming out of it rationally.” “We are ahead of where he is now. But we are further ahead than we are now,” he said, contradicting the views of Senate Republicans such as Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Ramaswamy, who has said he would prioritize visiting Moscow in his first year in office, said he would make an “firm commitment” that NATO would never recognize Ukraine, on the condition that Putin exit Russia’s military partnership with China.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called Ramaswamy’s position on Ukraine immaterial.

“Vivek is Trump’s pilot. There is no sense in what Vivek Ramaswamy says on this issue,” Christy said he told The Washington Post in August.

in Post on X (formerly Twitter) Ramaswamy responded, “So shameful that @GovChristie and the rest of the bipartisan establishment are talking more shit about Ukraine,” adding that they are trying to plunge the United States into a “potential nuclear war” against Russia.

Ramaswamy He unveiled his foreign policy visions at the Nixon Presidential Library On Thursday, he promoted a vision that includes less involvement in foreign affairs that do not directly concern the United States. In addition, he said he would push other countries to be “the first protectors of their national security” and not to “mess” with the United States in the Middle East. Western hemisphere.

China and Taiwan

Ramaswamy appeared to set a timeline for when the United States would stop getting involved in deterring a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the self-ruled island that bipartisan lawmakers have said the United States should defend if Beijing invaded.

In his remarks at the Eric Erickson “Rally” in Atlanta, Georgia, last week, Ramaswamy said he would encourage China to invade Taiwan only after the United States achieves semiconductor independence. The United States, through legislation such as the Potato Chip Act, promotes its chip manufacturing technology as a national security measure.

“I think that is certainly the most important foreign policy goal of the next American president: to declare economic independence from China, and to deter China from going after Taiwan as long as we depend on Taiwan for our semiconductors while avoiding war in the process.” he said.

Ramaswamy has it too He called for arming and training every Taiwanese family with AR-15s She suggested the National Rifle Association open a branch in the country to deter any conflict. The NRA currently operates directly only in the United States.

And if China decided to invade Taiwan, Ramaswamy said he would not be willing to risk the lives of US troops to fight on behalf of Taiwan.

Israel and the Middle East

Ramaswamy set a similar end date for financial support to Israel, saying that while he wants “Abraham Accords 2.0” that would create more normalization deals between Israel and other countries, financial aid should not be provided to Israel indefinitely or as regularly as it is now. now.

“I want to get Israel to the place where it is negotiated back into the infrastructure of the rest of the Middle East. We shouldn’t worry about holding one country or one region hostage over a particular issue of Palestine,” Ramaswamy told a news conference. Interview with actor and activist Russell Brand in early August.

Ramaswamy’s discussion of the second round of the Abraham Accords, a 2020 deal in which Israel struck normalization agreements with several Middle Eastern countries, particularly reflects a major foreign policy achievement of the Donald Trump administration with bipartisan support. The Biden administration has reportedly been exploring a similar normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, though officials have warned that any deal remains a long way off.

Ramaswamy framed the “2.0” agreements as allowing Israel to “stand on its own two feet” and thus need less outside aid from the United States.

Ramaswamy’s proposal for aid to Israel has faced some backtracking. Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks He wrote in a letter to Ramaswamy He added, “Now is not the time to end the aid program that provides so many benefits to our nation, strengthens our key strategic ally Israel, and contributes to the stability of the Middle East.”

Fellow Republican nominee and former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has condemned Ramaswamy’s stance on ending “preferential treatment from the United States, even though our relationship with Israel has advanced American interests,” saying that “his foreign policies have a common theme: they make America less safe.” .”

Ramaswamy’s spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin responded to Healy’s comments, saying they wished her well “in her future endeavors on American corporate boards”.

September 11th and the US government

Ramaswamy expressed doubts about the 9/11 commission set up by the US government and the narrative of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2021. Although the candidate said that this is not a key campaign issue for him, he wrote that the government may have been misinformed about foreign involvement in 9/11 and told the Atlantic’s reporter that he wanted to find “the truth” about 9/11, echoing false claims about that day.

“I think it’s legitimate to say how many policemen, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers,” Ramaswamy said. The Atlantic said In discussion on January 6, 2021.

Ramaswamy and his pregnancy later He claimed his remarks were misunderstood He was talking about federal agents on January 6, 2021; In response to those Atlantic allegations Transcript and recording issued It is from his statements about 9/11 that Ramaswamy appears to have been quoted accurately and in the context of the 9/11 discussion.

In a statement to ABC News, McLaughlin said, “We are grateful that The Atlantic released the audio recording after we asked them repeatedly. The audio clearly shows that Vivek was badly taken out of context and even this little excerpt proves it.” “We continue to encourage Atlantic to release more recordings, rather than carefully selected outtakes, so that the full context and reality is revealed.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence, another candidate in the race, called Ramaswamy’s suspicions of the 9/11 Commission attack an attack.

“I know he was probably in grade school on 9/11 and I was on Capitol Hill,” Pence said. New Hampshire union leader In early August. “I believe that comments like this and conspiracy theories like this dishonor the service and sacrifice of our armed forces that fought our enemies bent on killing us,” he added.

Ramaswamy, who turned 38 earlier this month, was in high school on September 11.

Ramaswamy responded to Pence’s criticisms in a Post on X (formerly Twitter) defending his distrust and comments as part of his search for the “truth” against the government’s alleged lies.

ABC News’ Rachael Scott, Libby Cathy, Abi Cruz, and Ben Siegel contributed to this report.