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(The Epoch Times)—The moment felt crafted to send a message.
Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy stood beside former Iowa representative Steve King, who was taken down in the GOP primary by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) after a New York Times article alleged Mr. King had defended white nationalism. Both men were holding their hands over their hearts as they listened to the U.S. national anthem.
Last May, Mr. King in comments to The Epoch Times praised Mr. Ramaswamy, saying that he was “blazing a clear and bold trail for conservatism.” At the time, he had not thrown his support behind any candidate.
Now, though, he has endorsed the anti-woke entrepreneur. Mr. Ramaswamy has made a point of standing by him despite criticism from the legacy press.
“The fact that The New York Times says that Steve King said something a few years ago doesn’t make it true. I’ve gotten to know Steve well and trust him far more than the MSM [mainstream media],” Mr. Ramaswamy, who is of Indian descent, wrote on X on Jan. 2.
“I made a pledge to Steve, and I kept it at the fourth Republican presidential debate, talking about this issue,” Mr. Ramaswamy said at the Capitol.
The former congressman was among those who spoke at a Jan. 10 rally at the Capitol against the use of eminent domain for Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon dioxide pipeline. Legal battles over the approval of its network of carbon capture pipelines are playing out throughout the Midwest, including in North Dakota.
Mr. King, still an influential political figure despite his exile from public office, has been a vocal local critic of the plans.
“It’s all driven by tax dollars and carbon credits,” he told The Epoch Times in May.
At least as early as a June appearance in Sioux City, Iowa, Mr. Ramaswamy was speaking out against the seizure of private farmland through eminent domain for “public use” in the form of a carbon capture pipeline, according to coverage from the Sioux City Journal.
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., now an independent candidate, voiced strong opposition to carbon capture pipelines at the Iowa State Fair in August when he was still contending for the Democratic nomination.
Mr. Ramaswamy is reaping political dividends thanks to his strong stance on the issue. Another speaker at the event, state Rep. Steven Holt (R-Denison), announced his endorsement during the anti-pipeline rally. He had, in Mr. Ramaswamy’s delicate phrasing, backed “another candidate” up until that point—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“[Vivek] was, to my knowledge, the first presidential candidate to focus on this issue,” Mr. Holt told the crowd.
Mr. Holt’s perspective contrasts with the view of North Dakota state Sen. Jeff Magrum (R), one of Summit’s biggest foes in the state legislature.
“He [Mr. Ramaswamy] was desperate for attention. Rather than missing a golden opportunity, he jumped onboard,” Mr. Magrum told The Epoch Times.
Just days ahead of the Jan. 15 caucus, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Ramaswamy’s strong stance on pipelines and relentless touring across the state will translate to real votes of support. RealClearPolitics’ polling average has him below former President Donald Trump, Mr. DeSantis, and his bête noire, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.
Another contender who has been polling below the top candidates, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, dropped out of the GOP race on Jan. 10.
“Better late than never,” Mr. Ramaswamy told The Epoch Times in response to talk of Mr. Christie’s departure, still unconfirmed at the time he spoke.
He told reporters he was “in this to the very end,” regardless of his performance on Jan. 15.
Founders ‘Rolling Over in Their Graves’: Ramaswamy
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution holds that “private property [shall not] be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
A central concern for pipeline critics is the 2005 Supreme Court decision Kelo v. City of New London. The 5-4 decision—opposed by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, and Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor—permitted the government to take private property and give it to private rather than public parties.
The Court found that the City of New London’s seizure of land to sell to private developers qualified as a “public use” since it was part of the city’s plan for economic development.
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“George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton and John Jay are rolling over in their graves, and they were when Kelo v. New London was decided,” Mr. Ramaswamy said.
Eminent domain was also at issue when land was taken in Iowa for the Dakota Access Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the Bakken in far western North Dakota to an oil terminal in Illinois. The Iowa Supreme Court in 2019 held that those takings did not violate the U.S. Constitution or Iowa’s constitution.
The businessman was pressed on his view of oil and gas pipelines by anti-oil protesters.
“I don’t think any private company, including an oil company, should be able to use eminent domain,” he said.
‘Next Week It’s Going to Be Windmills’: Iowa Farmer
Allen and Christine Hayek are among the Iowans who stand in opposition to Summit’s vision.
At the rally, Mr. Hayek was wearing a hat emblazoned with the name of his agricultural operation, “Hayek Farms.” The fact that he shares a last name with Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek, a legendary defender of private property rights, may just be a happy coincidence.
“Next week, it’s going to be windmills, it’s going to be solar panels … They’re literally going to take over every piece of ground we have,” Mr. Hayek told The Epoch Times.
He thinks the Dakota Access case was a little different.
“Even that [served] a public good,” he said.
“This thing serves no purpose other than to stick it [CO2] in a hole,” he added.
Another high-profile attendee of the Jan. 10 carbon pipeline rally was political activist and journalist Laura Loomer.
She told The Epoch Times that she was “ride or die” for President Trump, saying she couldn’t imagine him being prevented from running.
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“The American people are not going to stand by for their elections to be stolen by power-hungry secretaries of state and enemies of our justice system. To remove President Trump from the ballot, it would literally cause a revolution in our country,” she said.
She suggested that Mr. Ramaswamy “would make an exceptional GOP nominee in 2028.”
John Haughey contributed to this report.
Smoke And Mirrors: What Happens After Biden’s Economic Manipulations Disappear?
by Brandon Smith
There is a popular school of thought that believes most economic stability is purely psychological; that the health of the economy relies on the population NOT knowing the true state of things. In other words, “ignorance is bliss.” I partially agree with the premise but only under certain conditions. If…
Kamala Harris Has a ‘Conversation’ With the National Association of Black Journalists
by Red State
Vice President and selected Democrat nominee Kamala Harris did not have to wait like former President and GOP nominee Donald Trump for the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to get their technology together on Tuesday. They were right on time for this “Conversation with Vice President Kamala Harris” in…
Vaccine-Injured Americans Fight to Hold Biden-Harris Admin Accountable Over Censorship Campaign
by The Blaze
Novel COVID-19 vaccines advertised as “safe and effective” left multitudes of Americans injured or worse during the pandemic. Some of those individuals still physically capable went online to express their concerns, share their life-changing experiences, and engage with others medically compromised by government mandates and experimental science. However, in many…
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ABC News Hits the Panic Button After Sworn Statement Proving the Debate Was Rigged, David Muir Does Damage Control
by Joe Kovacs, WND
(WND News Center)—ABC News is apparently pressing the panic button in the wake of fierce criticism of its Sept. 10 presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. A sworn statement by an ABC News whistleblower exposing network bias favoring Harris continues to be in focus regarding…
The FBI Should Visit the New York Times About Instigating More Anti-Trump Violence
by The Federalist
If the price to pay as a Republican running for president is the media blaming you for being nearly assassinated, they are culpable. The FBI should consider stopping by the homes of New York Times reporters Michael Barbaro and Peter Baker after their slew of public remarks about Donald Trump…
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by Newsbusters
A radical censorship-obsessed group financed by leftist billionaire George Soros is doubling down on efforts to interfere in the 2024 election by turning the screws on Big Tech to censor speech and by manipulating journalists. Free Press, fueled with at least $2 million by Soros between 2017 and 2021, announced…
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by Breitbart
An elderly New York City woman was injured in an unprovoked attack when a random man sucker punched her in the head while she was walking her dog, surveillance footage shows. The victim, 81, was out with her dog on Friday just after 7:00 p.m. near W. 66th St. and…
Wi-Fi Routers Are ‘Significant EMF Emitters’ and ‘Should Be Away From Livingrooms/Bedrooms’ — Study
by Infowars
A recent scientific study on the specific absorption rate (SAR) values in the brain and body from electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) emitted by modern electronic devices indicate that certain tech devices, such as Wi-Fi routers, should not be in the same rooms that people spend much of their time in, such…
America First Legal Investigates Biden Admin’s Potential Knowledge of Second Trump Shooter
by Daily Caller
The conservative group America First Legal (AFL) is investigating whether the Biden-Harris administration was monitoring Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect who allegedly attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Sunday. AFL announced Tuesday it was launching a “multi-front” investigation into any records the Biden-Harris administration may possess on Routh….
With a Male Player, San Jose State University Women’s Volleyball Is Having Its Best Season Ever
by The Blaze
The women’s volleyball team at San Jose State University remained undefeated and is now 6-0 following its latest victory. The team is off to its best start in program history, according to OutKick, and continued its hot streak with a 3-2 win over fellow NCAA Division I Santa Clara. The…
Klaus Schwab Calls for “Global Collaboration” to Combat “Misinformation”
by Reclaim the Net
It will take serious research and serious access to information ever to figure out which came first, the WEF chicken, or the WEF egg. But this unelected, informal group of highly influential global elites has often been able to either seemingly predict, or seemingly help make happen – some major…
‘I Reached Out’: Chris Cuomo Reveals What He Told Trump After Second Assassination Attempt
by Daily Caller
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo on Monday said he expressed condolences to Donald Trump after the second attempt on his life on Sunday, saying the former president “doesn’t deserve” to face assassination attempts. Federal and local officials confirmed Sunday the arrest of 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh for allegedly attempting to assassinate…
ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ Ratings Tank After Hosts’ ‘One-Sided’ Moderating of Trump-Harris Debate
by Harold Hutchison, Daily Caller News Foundation
(DCNF)—Ratings for ABC’s “World News Tonight” fell by over 10% since the Sept. 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted by ABC News hosts David Muir and Linsey Davis. The Disney-owned network’s broadcast news program hosted by Muir that airs at 6:30 p.m. EDT…
Federal Loopholes Allow China to Buy Land Near Sensitive Ports, Labs, and Coast Guard Facilities, Prompting Congressional Concern
by Free Beacon
China and other foreign adversaries are still permitted to purchase U.S. land near sensitive Coast Guard facilities, ports, and Energy Department labs, exposing national security gaps that lawmakers say enable hostile regimes to conduct espionage operations on American soil. The Treasury Department’s Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States…
Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Reportedly Injured by Exploding Pager
by Red State
I’m not sure who had exploding pagers on their Bingo cards for 2024, but why not? As Bonchie reported earlier: In one of the most unbelievable developments of 2024, Israel somehow hacked into the pagers and cell phones of Hezbollah fighters and caused them to explode. News of hundreds of…
Trump Issues a “Cease and Desist” to Election Cheaters, Promises Retribution for Those Who Don’t Heed the Warning
by Fred Lucas
(The Daily Signal)—As early voting begins this week in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump posted another warning to cheaters on Truth Social. “CEASE & DESIST,” the 45th president posted Tuesday. “I, together with many Attorneys and Legal Scholars, am watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential…
Lawmaker Warns of Rising Trend of ‘Hostage Diplomacy’ After China Releases Us Citizen
by The Epoch Times
The top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee said “hostage diplomacy” is on the rise, a day after the Chinese regime released an American citizen and pastor who had been detained for nearly 20 years. The State Department announced on Sept. 15 that David Lin, who was on a missionary…
Hillary Clinton Calls for Americans Who Disagree With Democrat Narratives to Be Imprisoned
by Cindy Harper, Reclaim The Net
(Reclaim The Net)—Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has has decided to ignore the First Amendment and has advocated for punitive measures aimed at Americans who contribute to the spread of what she calls “propaganda.” Speaking to MSNBC on Tuesday, Clinton suggested that holding American individuals accountable through civil…
CBS Ties 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt to Springfield, Buries Threat Hoaxes
by Newsbusters
With the aftermath of the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump drawing significant coverage, the Springfield “dogs and cats” story is beginning to recede from view- except on CBS, which chose to flog the story for at least one more night. Watch CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell’s…
Exposing the Lethal Fraud of Gender Ideology: Dr. Ann Gillies’ Documentary Unmasks the SOGI Agenda in Schools
by RAIR Foundation
Dr. Ann Gillies, who was featured in a RAIR Dr. Ann Gillies, who RAIR featured in an article on July 3rd, has created a 45-minute documentary exposing the dangerous and sometimes lethal fraud of SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Ideology), which is being promoted in both Canadian public and Catholic…
