Kaine says Ramaswamy support of Trump represents ‘complete lack of moral compass’

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said Sunday that 2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s support for former President Trump represents a “complete lack of moral compass.”

“What I just heard was the complete lack of a moral compass,” Kaine said in an interview on ABC News’s “This Week.” 

Kaine followed Ramaswamy’s interview, during which Ramaswamy repeatedly doubled down on his position that he would support the former president as the party’s chosen nominee, even if he were convicted of a crime. Trump faces more than 90 criminal charges in four separate indictments.

“If you are unwilling to say that the behavior of Donald Trump trying to overturn the peaceful transfer of power is a disqualifier, if you pledged despite that to vote for him, if you pledged despite that to pardon him should you be elected, it shows that you don’t have the moral compass that you need to be the leader of the greatest nation in the world,” Kaine said.

“And, sadly, Mr. Ramaswamy is not alone in lacking the compass. I think that was displayed pretty patently by many of the GOP candidates on the debate stage,” Kaine added.

Ahead of the first primary debate late last month, all debate participants were required to sign a pledge to support the ultimate nominee. When they appeared on the stage, they were asked whether they would support Trump if he were a convicted felon but still the Republican nominee. 

Six of the eight candidates raised their hands. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appeared to raise a finger, which he later said was in order to request to speak next and not for the purpose of answering the question. When he spoke, he condemned Trump’s conduct. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson did not raise his hand. 

Later, candidates including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence described their decisions to raise their hands as honoring their word, while still insisting they were confident Trump would not be the nominee. 

Ramaswamy has taken the opposite approach, fiercely defending his support of Trump and also pledging to pardon him if Trump were convicted, and should Ramaswamy get the nomination and ultimately win the White House.