Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had an embarrassing hot mic moment during an X Spaces broadcast in front of over 100,000 users when it sounded as if he had been relieving himself in the bathroom after forgetting to hit the mute button on his phone.
Deemed “pissgate” by the internet, the moment occurred as X owner Elon Musk explained his decision to allow famed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back onto the platform after a lengthy ban. It was then that Vivek Ramaswamy uttered these prophetic words, “Gentlemen, I have to go.” And by “go,” he meant go…
As the conversation persisted, what sounded like someone urinating could be heard, though it is possible the sound could have been from hand-washing, considering no flush could be heard.
“Somebody’s got their phone in the bathroom,” Alex Jones said.
“That’s your phone, Vivek, I’m not able to mute you,” host Mario Nawfal responded.
After some brief laughs, Ramaswamy apologized before returning to the Spaces conversation.
“I hope you feel better,” Musk told Ramaswamy upon his return.
“I feel great,” Ramaswamy replied.
Needless to say, the moment prompted conspiracy theories and jokes of all kinds.
“Vivek is literally draining the swamp,” one user said.
#PissGate audio has been obtained and released😂 https://t.co/Jb5lWEATJ0
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) December 10, 2023
OMG!!! #PissGate IS REAL!!!😭 pic.twitter.com/Z5NLbVhpV7
— il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) December 10, 2023
BREAKING: Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy takes a massive piss during a live space with Elon Musk & Alex Jones. The host couldn’t mute it & after Vivek was done, Elon said “I hope you feel better”, to which Vivek responded “I feel great.#PissGate
Listen👂
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/0zqVdSrIVa
— ᴊᴀᴄᴋ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ (@AmericazOutlaw) December 10, 2023
A similar moment occurred in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic when a noticeably audible toilet flush could be heard as Supreme Court justices were listening to oral arguments over a conference call — they were socially isolating at the time.
“The Supreme Court was making history Wednesday afternoon, holding arguments over the phone because of Covid-19, when all of a sudden there was the distinct sound of a toilet flushing,” CNN reported at the time.
“Across the country, the public that has never before this week been able to listen in real time to oral arguments held remotely was treated not only to deep questions related to the First Amendment and robocalls but also to someone’s apparent bathroom break,” it added.
The culprit was never discovered, but there were speculations.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.