Fox News personality Sean Hannity was mocked online after he accidentally burned former President Donald Trump during a tense interview with businessman and 2024 GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy by declaring that people who never "held public office" are not "qualified to be president."
The contentious discussion revolved around Ramaswamy's comments on a recent interview with former Fox personality Tucker Carlson concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Ramaswamy expressed his irritation at the U.S. "ignoring certain other conflicts" and claimed that some politicians sought to gain wealth through war. Hannity pressed Ramaswamy on these statements, and the candidate accused the host of misrepresenting his words.
You can hear what Hannity said in the video below.
Hannity said that Ramaswamy's "problem" is that he goes "on these shows and then denies [his] own words. He said that if Ramaswamy wants to be taken seriously as a GOP candidate, then he needs to "own it or pull it back."
Ramaswamy then accused Hannity of being "part of the fake news media":
“You have been laughing about the fake news media how many times for the last several years? And now you’re buying the mainstream media narrative when you know how corrupt it is.”
After Hannity got Ramaswamy to admit that Hannity had "quoted [his] exact words," he said, "Thank you, goodbye" and left Ramaswamy sputtering.
He then said:
"I think it's asinine that someone who worked in the defense industry should not be qualified to be president. I think people that never held public office, like you, maybe they’re not qualified to be president."
Hannity's assertion that individuals without public office experience might not be suitable for the presidency attracted attention, given his close ties to Trump, who had never held public office before becoming President. Hannity's close relationship with Trump during the latter's presidency was well-documented, with the two reportedly speaking on the phone regularly.
He was swiftly mocked for his remarks.
Ramaswamy, whose wealth comes from biotech and financial businesses, lacks any political experience.
While he now portrays himself as a "threat to the system" and openly criticizes the Republican establishment, it appears that he was eager to be a part of that very system just a year ago.
Documents obtained by Politico and interviews with individuals familiar with his efforts shed light on his desire to secure a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention (RNC) and his willingness to engage with the party.
Ramaswamy has used his "non-establishment" credentials to make the case for why he should be in the executive office. He has also praised Trump and offered to align himself with him, pledging to pardon him over the charges he currently faces.
