Sparks flew on Sunday’s edition of CNN’s State of the Union when GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy retaliated against co-moderator Dana Bash after she tried lecturing him on the violent history of racism in the United States. The controversy arose when Bash howled at Ramaswamy for responding the the hateful comments from Massachusetts Democrat Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley in which she despicably attacked him and proclaimed “We don’t need any more brown faces that don’t want to be a brown voice.” Ramaswamy reportedly told Pressley that her comments “are the words of the modern grand wizards of the modern KKK.”

“You know, I’m sure, the KKK was responsible for more than a century’s worth of horrific lynchings, rapes, murders of black people. How in any way are the views you’re talking about comparable to the views and atrocities committed by the KKK?” Bash lectured. 

Ramaswamy responded forcefully to Bash: “What I said is the grand wizards of the KKK would be proud of what they would hear her say because there’s nothing more racist than saying that your skin color predicts something about the content of your viewpoints or your ideas.”

“You didn’t just say they would be proud, you said, these are the words of the modern grand wizards of the modern KKK,” Bash interjected. 

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“I think it is the same spirit to say that I can look at you and based on just your skin color, that I know something about the content of your character, that I know something about the content of the viewpoints you’re allowed to express,” Ramaswamy shot back. “For Ayanna Pressley to tell me because of my skin color I can’t express my views, that is wrong, it is divisive. It is driving hate in this country.”

Ramaswamy added that this kind of racially divisive rhetoric “Is dividing our country to a breaking point and we need to move beyond it.”

This segment on CNN’s State of the Union was made possible by Simplisafe. 

The transcript is below: 

CNN’s State of the Union
8/27/2023
9:08:21 a.m. Eastern

DANA BASH: You took it to another level on Friday, in addition to the comment we played, you took issue with comments from Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. She reportedly said, quote, we don’t need any more brown faces that don’t want to be a brown voice. About that, you said, these are the words of the modern grand wizards of the modern KKK. You know, I’m sure, the KKK was responsible for more than a century’s worth of horrific lynchings, rapes, murders of black people. How in any way are the views you’re talking about comparable to the views and atrocities committed by the KKK? 

VIVEK RAMASWAMY: What I said is the grand wizards of the KKK would be proud of what they would hear her say because there’s nothing more racist than saying that your skin color predicts something about the content of your viewpoints or your ideas. 

BASH: You didn’t just say they would be proud, you said, these are the words of the modern grand wizards of the modern KKK. 

RAMASWAMY: It is the same spirit — you’re right about that, Dana. I think it is the same spirit to say that I can look at you and based on just your skin color, that I know something about the content of your character, that I know something about the content of the viewpoints you’re allowed to express. For Ayanna Pressley to tell me because of my skin color I can’t express my views, that is wrong, it is divisive. It is driving hate in this country.

BASH: That is a debate—

RAMASWAMY: This is dividing our country to a breaking point and we need to move beyond it.