GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy allowed an angry pro-abortion heckler to interrupt his town hall in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Monday.
A video that went viral shortly after it was posted shows the candidate’s graceful handling of a heckler shouting down his event. Reacting to the viral video, Ramaswamy tweeted, “I’m a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me.”
I’m a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me. https://t.co/N8hWBChO0y
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 11, 2023
The female protester, who identified herself as Kayla Crist, stood up and shouted at Ramaswamy, “Our SCOTUS won’t protect our women,” and “Republicans are raping women.” As Crist screamed at the Republican, attendants at the town hall attempted to escort the heckler out of the room, but Ramaswamy invited her back.
“I want to give her a chance to speak. Do you want to come back here?” he said. “You can say something to me — it’s okay. … You can ask me a question, and I will answer.”
The woman then turned around and approached the stage where Ramaswamy sat. “If somebody non-consensually rapes me, I’m not having their child. It is my choice, and my body,” she started.
Crist told Ramaswamy about her experience as a single mother, saying “I’m already raising a kid that somebody implanted in me and doesn’t take care of. The system does nothing for the single mother. There’s no child support, and no one goes after them. I have been raising a child by myself for eight years.”
“I am a mother, and my kid is successful.” Crist continued. “And I don’t want to be frowned upon. I don’t want to be put down because I’m a single mother. My kid is happy and successful.”
Ramaswamy responded by thanking the woman for raising her child and applauding her for her “courage” in speaking up at his event.
“Thank you, Kayla. I want to say that one of the most important things is for a mother raising her children in this world,” he said. “Even if we have disagreements, I want to thank you for that,” Ramaswamy responded.
“And part of what it means to live in this country is we have free speech. We get to speak our minds openly, even if we all don’t agree on it,” the candidate continued. “So, let’s actually applaud her for the courage to come in and ask a question even though we don’t agree on it.”
Vivek Ramaswamy reached 10% in a recent Republican primary poll from Echelon, the first time the candidate reached double digits. Still, the Republican is far behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in every poll so far.
The presidential hopeful also recently announced he was committing $250,000 of his own money to a scholarship intended to “revive patriotism” in young Americans.