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Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy laid out his conditions for U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas war during a Monday interview with Piers Morgan.
Ramaswamy argued that Israel is “able to defend itself” as of now, and that it would be better off if America did not “muddy the waters” by injecting itself further into the conflict. He emphasized that his “red line” is if American citizens are attacked and that he would “hit” Hamas “10 times harder.” (RELATED: Elderly Hostage Freed By Hamas Details Horrific Treatment)
Vivek Ramaswamy says if he was Commander-in-Chief he would send US military to Gaza to just American hostages.
Piers Morgan asks him: “Only the American hostages? Or Israeli?”@VivekGRamaswamy | @piersmorgan | #PMU pic.twitter.com/bsV9oV506K
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) October 30, 2023
He added that an attack on an American base would constitute a direct attack on the country, which would warrant a military response. Morgan pressed him on how he would handle an American citizen being taken hostage or killed by Hamas.
“I would prioritize getting those American hostages out,” Ramaswamy said. “That is a top priority for me.”
Morgan asked the GOP candidate to “clarify” if he would send in troops to rescue American hostages in Gaza.
“I would not take an option off the table, in a limited way, to protect Americans,” he said.
Morgan brought up that Ramaswamy previously said he would not want to send in American troops into Gaza at all.
“I don’t want U.S. military involvement in somebody else’s war,” Ramaswamy clarified, emphasizing that he would only use limited force to retrieve American hostages.
Morgan pressed the candidate on whether he would be willing to use armed forces to save Israeli hostages as well as American hostages.
“The only condition under which we will have shown up there, was because they hold American hostages,” he said.
He added that American authorities would do their best to help secure the release of Israeli hostages as well, but Morgan noted that there’s an “inconsistency” in his position.
Hamas took hundreds of hostages during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Talks between Israel and Hamas to release the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire have stalled over Hamas’ demands for fuel shipments into Gaza, NBC News reported. The Biden administration reportedly attempted to delay Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza over fears it would capsize hostage release negotiations.