Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has agreed to participate in a debate with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California’s 17th district, according to posts on Twitter, now known as X.
Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and asset manager who ran the biotechnology company Roivant Sciences, has gained prominence during his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 despite never having held public office, with him currently polling ahead of veteran politicians such as Tim Scott, Mike Pence and Chris Christie. On Thursday, Ramaswamy accepted an offer from Khanna on Twitter to debate, provided that it would be in New Hampshire, an early primary state where he has been campaigning for his nomination. (RELATED: Is Gavin Newsom Gearing Up For A Presidential Bid?)
“The University of Chicago Institute of Politics wants to have a civil discourse with the two of us on race, identity and the American dream. I accepted. I assume, as a speech advocate, you’re game @VivekGRamaswamy?” Khanna asked, retweeting a post by Ramaswamy where he indicated that he’d be willing to debate a Democrat.
“You’re a solid dude with whom I disagree on a lot, and I’d be glad to have a discussion at some point, just need to balance it in the context of campaign priorities. If you are willing to do it in New Hampshire, I’m game,” Ramaswamy responded to his tweet.
Here’s what happened: I agreed to an unfiltered discussion about race in America with @CornelWest at UChicago. He pulled out, so I think they called you after that. You’re a solid dude with whom I disagree on a lot, and I’d be glad to have a discussion at some point, just need to…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) October 12, 2023
The planned session with Khanna and Ramaswamy mirrors another debate scheduled on Nov. 30 in Georgia between Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, the latter a presidential candidate competing with Ramaswamy for the nomination. That event will be moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity, who brokered the event between the two men to debate left-wing versus right-wing policy visions for the country.
Like Newsom, Khanna is a Democrat from the San Francisco Bay Area who has often been mentioned as a presidential candidate in 2028. Despite being identified with the left wing of his party, Khanna, like Newsom, has often appeared on Fox News and written for its digital arm to convey his beliefs to a conservative audience.
The exchange on Twitter, which began with Ramaswamy’s lamentations against the Republican National Committee (RNC) for allegedly running a “brokered and rigged nomination process,” also attracted the attention of Twitter’s chairman Elon Musk, who joined the conversation. “Let’s have a debate on the X platform. I’m happy to host,” Musk wrote in response to Ramaswamy, who replied that RNC rules prohibited it.
Ramaswamy and Khanna are two prominent U.S. politicians of Indian descent, a cohort that includes Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, another presidential candidate.
“I am always open to respectful dialogue with people across the political spectrum and am happy to do so with Vivek. A healthy democracy relies on open political dialogue and a willingness to discuss important issues,” said Khanna in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. His spokesperson added that Khanna’s staff are in contact with Ramaswamy’s campaign regarding the organizing of the debate.
Ramaswamy’s campaign and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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