'I'll always forgive a bad joke': Vivek Ramaswamy accepts apology about cartoon

A media entity has apologized after running a cartoon that depicted MAGA supporters targeting GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The cartoon featured Ramaswamy at a podium as MAGA audience members jeered the candidate. One audience member exclaimed, "MUSLIM!!," another demanded Ramaswamy show his birth certificate, and a third person declared, "GET ME A SLUSHEE APU!!!"

Ramaswamy shared a screenshot of the cartoon, noting that it is not at all reflective of his real-life experience meeting Americans around the nation.

"It's sad that this is how the MSM views Republicans. I've met with grassroots conservatives across America & never *once* experienced the kind of bigotry that I regularly see from the Left. Iowa's ⁦@qctimes⁩ absolutely has the right to print this, but it's still shameful," Ramaswamy tweeted.

Tom Martin, executive editor at the Quad-City Times and Dispatch-Argus, conveyed apologies for the dissemination of the cartoon.

"The cartoon, while intended to criticize racist ideas and epithets, uses a phrase that is racist and insensitive to members of our Indian American community. The cartoon has been removed from our websites and e-editions, and we will not be accepting any further work from the cartoonist. We apologize to Republican primary presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, the Indian American community and our readers for publishing the offensive material in the Quad-City Times and Dispatch-Argus," the apology states. "The oversight that allowed it to run is inexcusable, and we can and will do better. We are sorry."

Ramaswamy has accepted the apology.

"Love my Iowans in the Quad Cities. Grateful for warm welcome they give me every single time. The local newspaper @qctimes just apologized for their recent un-funny cartoon bigotedly deriding the right. I accept. I'm a former aspiring standup comic & I’ll always forgive a bad joke," the presidential hopeful tweeted.

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