'How this game is played': Maggie Haberman highlights Ramaswamy's adoption of a key Trump tactic

Donald Trump's style of denying reality is being adopted by his young challenger Vivek Ramaswamy, writes New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman and her co-authors.

Haberman, known informally as the "Trump whisperer," has covered the former president since long before his term in office. Among the observations she's documented is his willingness to lie – The Washington Post documented more than 30,000 lies over the course of four years.

Like Trump, long-shot Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy has been making news as his poll numbers in the GOP primary increase. But his performance in the debate and subsequent interviews highlights his willingness to use the Trump tactic of making claims that aren't backed up by evidence, Haberman wrote.

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The Jan. 6 attack on Congress is one example. Ramaswamy has blamed what he says were government lies that fueled the nation's division and led to the attack.

But Ramaswamy has, in the past, called Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 “downright abhorrent” and attacked claims of a “stolen election” in his book, Nation of Victims.

"It was a dark day for democracy. The loser of the last election refused to concede the race, claimed the election was stolen, raised hundreds of millions of dollars from loyal supporters, and is considering running for executive office again,” he wrote. "I'm referring, of course, to Donald Trump."

Ramaswamy's recent comments about the Sept. 11 attacks are also drawing attention. The Atlantic quoted him saying, “I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Maybe the answer is zero. It probably is zero for all I know, right? I have no reason to think it was anything other than zero."

He quickly proclaimed he was "misquoted." Instead, he was talking about Jan. 6, and that there were “many federal agents in the field and we deserve to know who they are.” He also told CNN he thinks the government lied about the involvement of “Saudi Arabia’s involvement” in the 9/11 attacks.

“But are you telling me that your quote is wrong here?" asked CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

“I am telling you the quote is wrong, actually.”

Collins read the quote again.

Ramaswamy rushed to speak over her: “I am, actually. I actually asked…When I actually – and this is just lifting the curtain on how media works again – I asked that reporter to send the recording, ‘cause it was on the record; he refused to do it. But we had a free-flowing conversation. The truth is, there are lies the government has told about 9/11, but it’s not the ones that somebody put in my mouth.”

The Atlantic produced the audio recording of Ramaswamy, proving he was not misquoted.

Still, his campaign doubled down: “We are grateful that the Atlantic released the audio after we repeatedly asked them to do so,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. “The audio clearly demonstrates that Vivek was taken badly out of context and even this small snippet proves that. We continue to encourage the Atlantic to release more of the recording, rather than their carefully selected snippet, so that full context and reality is exposed.”

As the Times explains, "There are layers to Mr. Ramaswamy’s distortions." He "has in several instances claimed that he had never made them or that he had been taken out of context."

The report goes on to document several examples beyond Jan. 6 and Sept. 11. When it comes to climate change, Ramaswamy is all over the place.

Ramaswamy's thoughts on Trump have evolved over time. He even attacked a New York Post headline reading, “GOP 2024 candidate Vivek Ramaswamy ‘open’ to pardon of Hunter Biden.”

“Maria, that was misquoted and purposeful opposition research with the headline,” he told Fox host Maria Bartiromo. “You know how this game is played.”

He wasn't misquoted in that case either, the Times explained.

Read all of the examples from the New York Times here.