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'Would teach cable news how it’s done': Internet backs Vivek Ramaswamy as he asks RNC to hold fifth GOP debate on X to raise viewership

Vivek Ramaswamy called on the RNC to overhaul the debate format due to declining viewership and gave an idea which could help rope in more views

COLUMBUS, OHIO: Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is pressing the Republican National Committee to move January's GOP debate to streaming platform X instead of cable TV, with Tucker Carlson as moderator.

Ramaswamy took to X to argue that this would help reach younger voters, as viewership for recent Republican debates has declined, as per the New York Post.

Vivek Ramaswamy calls for unconventional debate to reach larger audiences

Upstart Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing for major changes to the debate format in an effort to prevent viewership from declining further and to attract new audiences.

The 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur proposed that, should there be another Republican debate in January, it should be held on X, moderated by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as he wrote, “If there’s a January GOP debate, it should be hosted on X, not on cable TV, moderated by a someone like @TuckerCarlson who might just ask questions that primary voters actually care about.”

“They say they want to reach younger voters and new audiences? Well that’s how you do it,” Ramaswamy added.

Ramaswamy first floated the idea during November’s debate in Miami, arguing that involving Carlson, podcaster Joe Rogan and tech mogul Elon Musk would garner “ten times the viewership.”

His campaign has repeatedly pressed the RNC to modernize its debate approach, including having a single moderator enforce the rules and raising qualification requirements.

Republican primary debates' constantly declining audience

The push for change comes as Republican primary debates have seen a steady audience decline since the first one in August, which attracted 12.8 million viewers on Fox News. The second debate on Fox Business drew 9.5 million, while the third secured just 7.51 million on NBC.

Ramaswamy has sparred publicly with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel over the committee’s strategy, even calling for her resignation following Republican losses. The RNC has not directly responded to his latest proposal.

The next debate is set for December 6 at the University of Alabama, featuring moderators Megyn Kelly, Elizabeth Vargas and Eliana Johnson. Breaking from tradition, the December 6 debate will also simultaneously air on The CW Network, marking the first time a primary face-off has been shown on a major broadcast station. However, it will only be televised live for viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones.

Only a handful of candidates are likely to qualify, including Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. Donald Trump has indicated he does not plan on participating. Details of future debates are still to be determined.

Support builds for Vivek Ramaswamy's idea for unconventional debate format

Ramaswamy’s push for a streaming debate with an edgier tone and format seems to be resonating among X users. Reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. As conservative activist Charlie Kirk shared the news on X, he wrote, “Vivek Vivek Ramaswamy pitches GOP debate on X, hosted by Tucker Carlson. Would be a vast improvement.”

Several people took to the comments in response, praising the idea. "I'm game, haven't watched any of the others, but I'd watch that one for sure," one user wrote. Another predicted, "This would do huge numbers! Would teach cable news how it’s done."

The proposal clearly taps into the dissatisfaction that people have with the status quo. "I want to see this happen," another commenter said.

Other supporters chimed in with similar enthusiasm. "This would be awesome," said another user as a fifth agreed, writing: "THAT would be epic. I hope it happens."