'He is folding like a tent': Vivek Ramaswamy mocked as he drops out of Iowa debate saying CNN was mean to him

DES MOINES, IOWA: Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy raised eyebrows this week when he announced plans to skip the final Republican primary debate before the high-stakes Iowa caucuses.

Instead of joining top rivals on the CNN debate stage, the entrepreneur will attend a competing town hall event moderated by conservative media figure Tim Pool. Ramaswamy cited unfair coverage by CNN personalities as the reason for his debate boycott, as reported by Meidas Touch.

Vivek Ramaswamy lists his grievances against CNN as he informs his followers about skipping Iowa debate

On X (formerly Twitter), Ramaswamy railed against CNN, the network hosting the Iowa debate, citing several recent incidents where network personalities and contributors supposedly made critical remarks about him and his long-shot presidential campaign.

He wrote, "Forget @CNN’s fake Iowa ‘debate’ on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history. We’re doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with @Timcast instead. Won’t hold back."

Ramaswamy added, "On Dec 13, CNN disgracefully cut short its own Iowa town hall with me after I correctly pointed out uncomfortable truths about Jan 6, which CNN instantly dismissed as 'conspiracy theories'."

He elaborated, "On Dec 14, CNN then threatened my campaign on the phone with a cease-and-desist & had YouTube black out the town hall after it got 200k+ views on YouTube in a matter of hours. Yet Nikki Haley’s CNN town hall was still up after 6 months (68k total views, sad)."

"Later on Dec 14, CNN notified my campaign that multiple qualifying polls, which the RNC used for each of the RNC Debates, mysteriously wouldn’t count for CNN’s fake 'debate' in Iowa on January 10," further claimed the presidential hopeful. 

He argued, "CNN Senior Media 'Reporter' Oliver Darcy wrote a newsletter that castigated his own network for allowing [me] to infect the public with his conspiracy campaign. CNN Commentator Van Jones said he was 'literally shaking' when he heard me speak. And my rhetoric is 'one step away from Nazi propaganda'."

Ramaswamy continued, "CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper said I delivered a 'soliloquy of conspiracy theories.' CNN Anchor Pamela Brown and 'Chief Investigative Correspondent' said Vivek has a 'history of peddling disinformation'." 

"CNN Anchor Kaitlan Collins said I use a 'reasonable tone' to sell sinister lies to people 'who aren't paying close attention' and might think what he is saying 'maybe is legitimate.' CNN's token 'conservative' Commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin said my rhetoric is 'damaging to the country'," concluded the GOP presidential candidate. 

The entrepreneur joins Donald Trump in refusing to participate in the sanctioned primary debates. The ex-POTUS, considered the current frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, has spurned the debate stage entirely.

Meanwhile, top Trump rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, have repeatedly called for him to join them on the debate stage. The former South Carolina Governor even stated, "As the debate stage continues to shrink, it’s getting harder for Donald Trump to hide." 

The Iowa debate, scheduled to happen just days before the pivotal caucuses, has long been considered an important event for candidates to share their closing messages with voters.

Polling suggests Vivek Ramaswamy was unlikely to qualify for CNN's Iowa debate

While Ramaswamy cited his objections to CNN’s coverage as the reason for skipping the debate, HuffPost noted that he was unlikely to qualify for the primetime event based on the network’s polling threshold.

To make the Iowa stage, candidates need to register 10 percent support or higher in three qualifying polls, including one recent CNN poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers.

However, Ramaswamy has consistently polled below 10 percent in surveys both nationally and in early primary states. The biotech entrepreneur and political newcomer has struggled to gain traction despite investing millions of his personal fortune into campaign ads and staff.

By preemptively announcing his own exit from the debate, Ramaswamy may be attempting to save face given his almost certain exclusion from the debate stage based on his poor polling. 

Internet mocks Vivek Ramaswamy as he decides to drop out of CNN's Iowa debate

Soon after the news of Ramaswamy pulling out of the final GOP debate came to light, netizens wasted no time in calling him out. 

One remarked, "Weird how MAGA claims to be so tough but they’re the first to complain and run always," while another expressed, "Why are ALL REPUBLICANS VICTIMS??? Do they expect applause at all times at everything they say?? JFC."

A person quipped, "He is folding like a tent," and someone else pointed out, "Yeah. Sure. All his ad spending had already ended. He knows he can't win."

"It's time for Vivek to become a former GOP candidate," expressed an individual. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.