Ramaswamy’s Foreign Policy Approach Offers Rivals a Line of Attack

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Published 08-22-2023

Ramaswamy's controversial foreign policy views and proposals

• Ramaswamy asserts that once the US expands its domestic semiconductor industry, Taiwan should be left to China.
• He proposes allowing Russia to keep parts of eastern Ukraine in order to entice President Putin away from his military alliance with China.
• Ramaswamy suggests curtailing military aid to Israel after stabilizing the Middle East.
• He questions the government's truthfulness about the 9/11 attacks, implying a deeper involvement by Saudi Arabia.
• Ramaswamy asks provocative questions about the number of police and federal agents on the planes that hit the Twin Towers.
• Ramaswamy's proposals push the envelope even within the increasingly isolationist Republican Party.
• He offers a quid-pro-quo to Putin, which includes blocking Ukraine from joining NATO and allowing Russia to control Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine.
• Ramaswamy promises to defend Taiwan until 2028, after which the US commitment would change.
• His comments on Israel could threaten his rising popularity among conservative voters.

Criticisms and responses from Republican rivals

• - Nikki Haley criticizes Ramaswamy's foreign policy proposals, stating that they make America less safe.
• - Former Vice President Mike Pence expresses deep offense at Ramaswamy's suggestion of a government cover-up regarding 9/11.
• - Chris Christie slams Ramaswamy's quid-pro-quo offer to Putin regarding Ukraine as a false choice and a ridiculous statement.
• - Ramaswamy's rivals disregard the broader context of his statements, leading to misinterpretations.
• - Matthew Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, warns against weakening the US-Israel relationship.
• - Republican rivals target Ramaswamy as an alternative to attacking front-runner Donald Trump.
• - Ramaswamy believes his rivals are threatened by his rise in the polls.
• - Foreign policy becomes a focal point of attack against Ramaswamy in the campaign.

Ramaswamy's confidence in his foreign policy views

• - Ramaswamy expresses supreme confidence in his foreign policy views.
• - He cites George F. Kennan and James A. Baker III as his models.
• - Ramaswamy vows to go to Moscow the way Nixon went to China.
• - His confidence may come off as naive or bizarre in a political campaign.
• - Ramaswamy expects further foreign policy attacks during the upcoming debate.

Ramaswamy's proposals and their implications

• - Ramaswamy's proposals push the envelope even within the increasingly isolationist Republican Party.
• - He offers a quid-pro-quo to Putin, which includes blocking Ukraine from joining NATO and allowing Russia to control Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine.
• - Ramaswamy promises to defend Taiwan until 2028, after which the US commitment would change.
• - His comments on Israel could threaten his rising popularity among conservative voters.
• - Ramaswamy's rivals see foreign policy as a safer line of attack compared to his domestic proposals, which align closely with Trump's.

Ramaswamy's response to criticism and rivals' strategies

• - Ramaswamy frames the blowback from his critics as hostility from a broken foreign policy establishment.
• - He defends his Israel policy as an action to help Israel stand on its own feet.
• - Ramaswamy believes his rivals are threatened by his rise in the polls.