READY TO DEBATE ANYONE FROM
EITHER PARTY.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY IS HERE.
VIVEK, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
YOU JUST CHALLENGED BOBBY
KENNEDY, THE DEMOCRAT, TO A
DEBATE.
HAVE IS YOU GOTTEN ANY RESPONSE
YET?
>> SO, LOOK, I’VE BEEN IN TOUCH
OF WITH BOBBY KENNEDY, I THINK
VERY HIGHLY WITH HIM.
I DISAGREE WITH HIM ON A LOT OF
ISSUES.
SO HE HASN’T YET RESPOND TOED TO
THIS CHALLENGE TO A DEBATE THAT
THE MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
CALLING FOR.
BUT I THINK THE DEMOCRATS ARE
THE PARTY THAT’S HIDING THERE
DEBATE RIGHT NOW.
THEY’RE PROTECTING JOE BIDEN AS
THEIR PUPPET.
I THINK WE ARE WE IN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY NEED TO BE
BETTER THAN THAT AND SAY WE’RE
THE PARTY OF FREE SPEECH AND
OPEN DEBATE, WE EMBRACE THAT
BECAUSE WE’RE ON THE WINNING
SIDE OF THESE ARGUMENTS, AND IS
I’M WILLING TO BE THE STANDARD
BEARER TO TAKE THAT DEBATE TO
THE OTHER SIDE’S --
[AUDIO DIFFICULTY]
DAVID: OKAY.
>> WHETHER IT’S WITH DON LEMON
OR THE DEMOCRATS RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT --
[INAUDIBLE]
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
DAVID: JUST SO YOU KNOW, A
THAT’S NOT AS CLEAN A SHOT AS WE
WOULD LIKE.
THERE ARE LITTLE BLURPS IN
THERE, BUT SO FAR SO GOOD, WE’LL
KEEP IT GOING.
BUT I I WANT TO ASK ABOUT A
REPUBLICAN DEBATE BECAUSE
THERE’S A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER
OR NOT IF RON DeSANTIS KEEPS
GOING DOWN IN THE NUMBERS, AND
HE’S TAKEN A COUPLE OF HITS
PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF DISNEY,
WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT IF HE
PULLS OUT, DONALD TRUMP MIGHT
NOT DEBATE ANYBODY ELSE WHO’S
RUNNING FOR THE REPUBLICAN
NOMINATION.
DO YOU, DOES THAT THE CONCERN
YOU?
>> I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BUG
MISTAKE FOR OUR PARTY -- A BIG
MISTAKE FOR OUR PARTY AND FOR
OUR MOVEMENT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE -- DONALD
TRUMP DID WELL IN 2015 BY
ELEVATING ISSUES IN THE DEBATE.
THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO DO THIS
TIME AROUND.
SAY WHAT WE STAND FOR AND WHY WE
STAND FOR IT.
NOT JUST OBSESS OVER THE
QUESTION OF THE WHO, THAT’S
GOING TO MAKE THE CONSERVATIVE
MOVEMENT BETTER WITH, I THINK
IT’S GOING TO MAKE THE COUNTRY
BETTER OFF TOO, AND THAT’S
SOMETHING WE NEED TO ACTUALLY
EMBRACE IN OUR PARTY.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
OTHER CANDIDATES INCLUDING TRUMP
PERHAPS MAY NOT RELISH BEING ON
THE DEBATE STAGE WITH ME.
I THINK IT’S STILL A GOOD THING
FOR OUR PARTY TO SEE THAT
THROUGH, AND I’M NOT GOING TO
LET ANYBODY EVADE THE DEBATE
STAGE.
I IT’S GOING TO BE THE REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR THE NEXT ELECTION
WHICH I THINK WE CAN WIN IN A
LAND SLIDE.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
DAVID: YOU’RE ON THE.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.
SPEAKING OF EMBRACING, YOU
COEMBRACE A LOT OF WHAT
DeSANTIS SAYS ABOUT WOKE
POLICIES AND THE HARM THEY DO TO
OUR NATION.
YOU SHARE A LOT OF THOSE VIEWS,
BUT I’M WONDERING IF YOU SHARE
HIS WAY OF NEGOTIATING WITH
DISNEY ON A THAT MAR ISSUE.
ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
>> SO, LOOK, I RESPECT GOVERNOR
DeSANTIS FOR TAKING A LOT OF
WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN IN WOKE INC.
AND IMPLEMENTING THAT INTO
FLORIDA.
I RESPECT HIM FOR BEING AN
IMPLEMENTER.
HOWEVER, I THINK PART OF WHAT’S
GOING ON WITH DISNEY IS HE SAID
HE WANTED TO ROLL BACK THOSE
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES.
UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THE
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES WAS
LEGISLATED INTO LAW UNDER RON
DeSANTIS HIMSELF WHICH WAS
ACTUALLY AN EXEMPTION FROM THEIR
POLITICAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
STATUTE THAT HE PASSED.
AND I THINK THAT UNDERMINES THE
CREDIBILITY OF THAT CRUSADE.
I’M SURPRISED THAT HASN’T BEEN
MORE WIDELY REPORTED IN THE
MEDIA, BUT I DO THINK THE RIGHT
THING WE’VE GOT TO DO IS
ACTUALLY LET COMPANIES BE
COMPANIES.
GO BACK TO FOCUSING ON MAKING
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR PROFIT
WITHOUT APOLOGIZING FOR IT,
WITHOUT MIXING THESE POLITICS
INTO THAT BOARDROOM.
I THINK A BIG PART OF WHAT
GOVERNOR DeSANTIS IS DOING,
HE’S TRYING TO CALL ATTENTION TO
THAT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THE
CRONY CAPITALIST PURPOSES LIKE
SPECIAL EXEMPTIONS DISNEY
ENJOYED WERE, UNFORTUNATELY,
PASSED INTO LAW UNDER
DeSANTIS’ OWN WATCH WHICH
UNDERMINES CREDIBILITY OF HIM TO
GO AFTER THEM USING STATE POWER
NOW.
DAVID: LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT’S HAPPENING IN
THE NEWS RIGHT NOW AND HOW YOU
WOULD DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE
ISSUES.
THE DEBATE OVER THE BUDGET.
OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
MEETING WITH THE REPUBLICANS AT
ALL, WITH SPEAKER McCARTHY,
BUT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE PUT OUT
SOME OF THEIR, WHAT THEY WOULD
LIKE TO CUT FROM THIS HUGE
TRILLION DOLLAR, MULTITRILLION
DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE BUDGET.
THEY WANT TO RESCIND FUNDING FOR
THE IRS AGENTS, THE 87,000 IRS
AGENTS.
THEY WANT TO REALLOCATE UNSPENT
COVID-19 RELIEF MONEY.
THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE BIDEN’S
STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PLAN.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS
YOU WOULD HAVE FOR CUTTING THE
BUDGET?
>> SO, LOOK, I THINK THAT WE
SHOULD ACTUALLY TALK MORE ABOUT
GDP GROWTH IN THIS COUNTRY.
THIS IS THIS DEBATE ABOUT TAX
INCREASES THAT DEMOCRATS WANT
VERSUS SPENDING CUTS THAT
REPUBLICANS WANT, AND I DO THINK
THERE IS ROOM FOR SMART SPENDING
CUTS.
BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS
REVIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH ITSELF.
IT’S AS THOUGH WE’VE FORGOTTEN
THAT’S AN OPTION.
UNSHACKLE OUSTERS FROM THIS --
OURSELVES FROM THIS CLIMATE
CULT, PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK,
REFORM THE FEDERAL RESERVE.
AND I THINK IF WE’RE GROWING
BACK AGAIN ABOVE 3 PLUS PERCENT,
AND I THINK WE CAN GET TO 5 PLUS
PERCENT GDP GROWTH, OUR FISCAL
PROBLEMS BECOME SMALL BY
COMPARISON.
THAT’S WHERE MY FOCUS IS, AND I
THINK THAT’S GOING TO BE
ACTUALLY WHAT LEADS US OUT OF
OUR FISCAL PROBLEMS, NOT JUST
WEARING BIFOCALS AND PLAYING
ACCOUNTANT WITH TAX INCREASES --
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
DAVID: WE HAVE AN ANEMIC GROWTH
RATE RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST GOT THE GDP NUMBERS THIS
WEEK, 1.1%, IT WAS HALF OF WHAT
WE EXPECTED: BUT YOU ARE ON THE
RECORD FOR WANTING TO ELIMINATE
SOME DEPARTMENTS COMPLETELY LIKE
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
I JUST WANT TO READ YOU THE
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
IT SAYS OUR MISSION SO TO
PROMOTE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND
PREPARATION FOR GLOBAL
COMPETITIVENESS BY FOSTERING
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND
INSURING EQUAL ACCESS.
WELL, WE HAVE SEEN TEST SCORES
GO WAY DOWN.
GLOBALLY WE’RE KIND OF A
LAUGHING STOCK.
AND WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO CHINA
OR SOME OF OUR MAJOR
COMPETITORS.
AND YET WE’RE SPENDING MORE
MONEY THAN EVER, $80-90 BILLION
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
$1 IS 82 BILLION IN COVID RELIEF
FOR K-12.
HOW WOULD YOU REAPPORTION THAT
MONEY TO HELP OUR SCHOOLS,
QUICKLY.
>> WELL, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SHOULD HAVE NEVER EXISTED.
A THAT’S WHY I I WILL SHUT IT
DOWN.
THAT $83 BILLION IS MISSPENT.
FOR JUST 25% OF THAT, WE COULD
PUT THREE ARMED SECURITY GUARDS
IN EVERY SCHOOL ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY.
IT’S NOT EVEN CLOSE, WHICH IS A
BETTER USE OF MONEY.
ON TOP OF THAT, YOU COULD TAKE
UNDERFUNDED SCHOOL CHOICE
PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
ACTUALLY PUT EDUCATIONAL CHOICE
BACK IN THE HANDS OF PARENTS,
GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT
OF THE WAY.
AND THAT’S WHY I’M GOING FURTHER
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
THAN EVEN TRUMP DUD, SHUT DOWN
THE DEPARTMENT.
DON’T JUST REFORM IT.
THAT’S MY VIEW OF HOW YOU HANDLE
THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE.
DAVID: WELL, IT HELPS OF TO HAVE
A CHEERING CROWD BEHIND YOU WHEN
YOU SAY THESE THINGS.
[LAUGHTER]
VIVEK, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.
BEAUTIFUL STATE IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
SAFE TRAVELS, MY FRIEND, AND
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING
IN TODAY.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
PEOPLE HERE ARE ENERGIZED AND,
HOPEFULLY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY