Vivek Ramaswamy responds to backlash about latest 9/11 conspiracy theories
Republican 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was hit with criticism on Monday by social media users for alleged comments he made about 9/11. However, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy told Newsweek he was speaking about the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol and not 9/11.
The remarks that offended many came from an interview he gave to The Atlantic for a lengthy story published on Monday.
Much of the article centers on Ramaswamy’s journey from successful entrepreneur to White House hopeful. Some recent polls have shown Ramaswamy making gains among GOP voters, and a survey released August 10 by Republican-leaning pollster Cygnal even showed him edging out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place by an 11 percent to 10 percent margin. (Former President Donald Trump remains the Republican frontrunner by a large percentage in national polls.)
However, Ramaswamy is also quoted speaking about Jan. 6 during the same discussion when he allegedly made the comments about 9/11.
What Did Vivek Ramaswamy Say About 9/11?
“I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Maybe the answer is zero. It probably is zero for all I know, right? I have no reason to think it was anything other than zero,” Ramaswamy said, according to The Atlantic.
“But if we’re doing a comprehensive assessment of what happened on 9/11, we have a 9/11 commission, absolutely that should be an answer the public knows the answer to. Well, if we’re doing a January 6 commission, absolutely, those should be questions that we should get to the bottom of. Here are the people who were armed. Here are the people who are unarmed.’ What percentage of the people who were armed were federal law-enforcement officers? I think it was probably high, actually. Right?”
According to Tricia McLaughlin, the Ramaswamy campaign’s communications director, he was referring to the riots on the U.S. Capitol when he mentioned the federal agents.
“Vivek was referring to Jan. 6, not 9/11, as we have clarified with The Atlantic,” McLaughlin told Newsweek. “It was a very free-flowing conversation, so we are not blaming the reporter, but the real question Vivek has is about undercover federal agents on Jan.6, 2021, not 9/11.”
What has drawn the ire of many people from The Atlantic article is Ramaswamy reportedly suggesting federal agents could have been aboard the hijacked commercial airliners that crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Ramaswamy has previously made controversial comments about the government in relation to 9/11. Earlier this month, he cast doubt on the 9/11 Commission that was tasked to investigate the terrorist attacks during an interview with Blaze TV.
“I don’t believe the government has told us the truth,” Ramaswamy told Blaze TV host Alex Stein. “I’m driven by evidence and data. What I’ve seen in the last several years is we have to be skeptical of what the government does tell us.
He added, “I haven’t seen evidence to the contrary, but do I believe everything the government told us about it? Absolutely not. Do I believe the 9/11 Commission? Absolutely not.”
Ramaswamy’s Blaze TV statements results in backlash on social media, and he faced more condemnation on X (formerly Twitter) following the publication of The Atlantic story on Monday.
“You conspiratorial a******. I was at Logan airport collecting airline PNRs [Passenger Name Records] hours after the Twin Towers were hit. There were no LE on the Twin Tower flights,” Peter Strzok, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent wrote on X. “Stop playing a nation’s tragedy and families’ sacrifice for cheap political points.”
“Oh my god. Not only is Vivek spreading conspiracy theories about January 6, but now is implying the federal government was behind 9/11?,” Ammar Moussa, the national press secretary for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) wrote. “What are we doing here?”
“Disgusting and unpatriotic. In a normal world would be the end of his campaign. Instead, the modern GOP eats this stuff up,” Institute for Education senior adviser Kaivan Shroff tweeted.
NEW: Vivek Ramaswamy on 9/11, “I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers.”
Disgusting and unpatriotic. In a normal world would be the end of his campaign. Instead, the modern GOP eats this stuff up.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) August 21, 2023
The denouncements of Ramaswamy’s comments didn’t just come from the left, as some right-wing figures also criticized him.
“This is really gross and creepy. It should be disqualifying,” conservative influencer “Just Mindy” wrote on X.
