Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie Blast RNC for Squashing Their Fox News Joint Appearance Amid Trump Calling To Eliminate Debates

GOP presidential hopefuls Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both took aim at the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Tuesday with lengthy statements ahead of what was supposed to be a joint appearance between the two on Fox News.

Christie wrote on X that he and Ramaswamy were threatened with expulsion from the third GOP debate in Miami over the mutual Fox News appearance as it would violate the committee's rules.

Ramaswamy and Christie both signed pledges with the RNC in which they agreed to only appear in "Primary and General Election debates that have been sanctioned by the Republican National Committee."

If either candidate did participate in an unsanctioned debate, they would be excluded from all further debates sanctioned by the RNC, per the agreement.

Christie still blamed the RNC and Trump for limiting debate.

"It is very disappointing that we were threatened with exclusion from the Miami debate and future debates for trying to have a more complete dialogue with each other and the voters," the former New Jersey governor wrote. "Every campaign was offered that opportunity by Fox News and they have now been effectively banned by the RNC. I am always up for those discussions – it's a shame the RNC and [Donald Trump] aren't."

Trump, who skipped the first two debates and won't be attending the third, called this week for all remaining debates to be cancelled by the RNC in order to "refocus its manpower and money on preventing Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election."

His campaign also called for debates to be cancelled last month.

Ramaswamy suggested the nomination process is "rigged" in his own statement about the Fox News appearance.

"Last week’s RNC debate was a disgrace, and I'm starting to believe that was by design. This is what a brokered and rigged nomination process looks like," he wrote Tuesday on X.

The Messenger reached out to Fox News for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Ramaswamy accused "the Establishment" of "propping up their favorite puppets" after being "hellbent" on keeping him from the 2024 nomination.

"It's pathetic that the Super PAC puppet masters have now ‘summoned’ their favored Establishment puppets to broker a path to defeating Trump instead of allowing GOP voters to make a real choice on their own by hearing directly from candidates," he wrote. "Republican voters deserve better than this broken process."

An RNC spokesperson responded to the complaints in a statement to The Messenger vowing to "not give in to pressure from individuals seeking to change the rules to favor their candidacy."

"The same candidates complaining about the rules governing RNC debates all signed a pledge and agreed months ago to not participate in unsanctioned debates. The RNC will continue to enact a fair, transparent debate process and we will not give in to pressure from individuals seeking to change the rules to favor their candidacy," the spokesperson said.

Fox News' Bret Baier teased the Ramaswamy and Christie appearance on Monday, calling the new segment a "candidates corner."