Vivek Ramaswamy Gives Masterclass in Condescension to CNN’s Abby Phillip

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy turned in a cringeworthy interview on Wednesday’s CNN NewsNight, where he repeatedly spoke down to host Abby Phillip.

Phillip asked Ramaswamy about U.S.-Taiwan relations, which are perpetually fraught given that China looms large over all things relating to the self-governing region that the U.S. nonetheless recognizes as part of China. Ramaswamy previously said the U.S. should defend Taiwan – the world’s leading manufacturer of semiconductors – against a potential Chinese invasion “until we have semiconductor independence in this country, which is where I will lead us.”

Ramaswamy responded by saying if the U.S. does achieve “semiconductor independence,” his administration would assume a posture of “strategic ambiguity.”

That led to this exchange:

PHILLIP: Just a final point of clarity on this. Once the United States achieves semiconductor independence, do you believe it will be in the United States national interest to deter China from invading Taiwan?

RAMASWAMY: We will evaluate at that point in time. It will not be preferable for China to invade Taiwan even then.

PHILLIP: That’s not an answer to my question.

RAMASWAMY: But we will then adopt what is our current–

PHILLIP: But you are not answering–

RAMASWAMY: Because that’s in the future, Abby.

PHILLIP: You’re not answering my question.

RAMASWAMY: Abby, I think you don’t understand. Abby, do you, do you actually know what “strategic ambiguity” means right now?

PHILLIP: I’m just asking you a simple question.

RAMASWAMY: Do you understand the current posture? The current posture is strategic ambiguity.

PHILLIP: Mr. Ramaswamy, it’s a yes or no.

RAMASWAMY: I get the feeling you don’t know what that is.

PHILLIP: It’s a yes or no answer.

RAMASWAMY: So, I’m happy to educate you if you’re interested. Strategic ambiguity will be what we resume. It’s the current status quo, and that’s what we will resume after we’ve achieved semiconductor independence. It’s that simple. The status quo will be exactly what obtains after we’ve achieved semiconductor independence. And in the meantime–

[CROSSTALK]

PHILLIP: A simple answer to that question would actually be a yes or no. But I do want to turn now to a different topic, to politics. Here’s what your fellow Republicans–

RAMASWAMY: A simple answer here is, you have geopolitics here. It’s a little more complicated than, than you’re making it out to be, Abby.

Watch above via CNN.