Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy faced backlash after comparing Rep. Ayanna Pressley to members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) during a campaign event in Iowa. Ramaswamy criticized Pressley's 2019 comments about the need for representation within the Democratic party, calling them divisive and racist. In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Ramaswamy doubled down on his comparison, stating that the KKK would be proud of Pressley's remarks. Bash confronted Ramaswamy, highlighting the KKK's history of violence and subjugation against Black people. Pressley's team condemned Ramaswamy's comments, calling them harmful and intentional. Ramaswamy defended his statement, stating that he wanted to spark an open and honest conversation about race in America. The controversy surrounding Ramaswamy's remarks has sparked a larger debate about the limits of political rhetoric and the impact of inflammatory language on public discourse.