Fox’s MacCallum Battles Ramaswamy Over His Plan for the Middle East: ‘Music to the Iranian Leadership’s Ears’
Martha MacCallum mixed it up with Vivek Ramaswamy over how he would respond to the raging conflict between Israel and Hamas. In particular, the Fox News host grilled the Republican presidential candidate over his reluctance to go after Iran, which supports Hamas.
Israel has been conducting strikes inside Gaza after Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 Israelis in surprise attacks on Oct. 7. Hamas also took more than 200 hostages, some of whom may be Americans. The U.S. has moved some of its military personnel closer to the region and there have been murmurs from some pundits about potential U.S. involvement.
“So, you say your priority would be to get Americans out,” MacCallum said of American hostages, some of whom Hamas has released. “And I’m saying, you could step in tomorrow and this could be the situation. How would you get them out?”
“I think there is a reasonable path,” he said. “Hamas is sending a signal. I don’t think that Hamas is a trustworthy group, but they have released at least two hostages at a time. Use that same pattern to be able to get more out against the backdrop of knowing that the U.S. will not engage militarily here. To the contrary, if you hit the U.S. targets, you’re gonna have consequences to pay.”
“Meaning you would hit Iran?” the host asked, alluding to Iran’s support of Hamas. “Or would you go directly to Hamas? Who would you hit? You say consequences. What are they?”
“Well, look, I think the reality is, Martha, if we’re crystal clear, that we’re not actually gonna participate militarily in this war, but are crystal clear about the fact that there will be more than proportional consequences for hitting the U.S., they’re not gonna do it,” Ramaswamy said. “I think a big part of the risk we’ve created is we should not have been in Syria or Iraq in the first place–”
“It’s easy to say now,” she interjected. “You’re running for president. You’re saying that would be a priority for you. You’d wanna get the Americans out. But you’re not explaining– what we’re hearing is that the White House is asking to delay [an Israel ground invasion] until the Americans come out. Two people at a time? That could go on for years.”
She then asked again about possible military action on Iran to potentially get the hostages freed.
“I don’t think that military action against Iran right now or starting a war with Iran and a ground war is at all in the U.S. interest,” he responded. “I think we’re in a window now where, if we’re clear that we’re not gonna military engage in this conflict – yes, we diplomatically stand for Israel – we have a window to negotiate the release of the hostages now.”
“I’m sure that news that you want to pull out of all these places would be music to the Iranian leadership’s ears because that’s what they want,” MacCallum said. “They want America to be out of the region.”
Watch above via Fox News.
