Conservative radio host Howie Carr and Republican Senate candidate Shiva Ayyadurai, the only current declared 2018 challenger to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, would appear to be natural allies.

Not so much.

Ayyadurai, a Belmont resident and self-described inventor of email, appeared on Carr’s talk show Thursday. The interview promptly began with Carr confronting Ayyadurai for calling the radio host a “fake Trumper.”

Ayyudarai attempted to deflect the question by talking about his campaign message, but Carr appeared intent on not letting that happen. Noting that Warren’s re-election campaign would be well-resourced, Carr asked the Senate candidate whether he had “any skeletons.”


“I have no skeletons in my closet, because I’m such a controversial guy,” Ayyadurai responded. “Everything’s out there.”

Carr than asked Ayyadurai if he had ever been arrested.

“This is not about you and me,” Ayyudarai replied, repeatedly. “This has to do with Elizabeth Warren.”

As Ayyadurai tried to direct the interview back toward the themes on his campaign, Carr posted photos of the candidate’s mugshot and police reports from his 2005 arrest on charges of domestic abuse. Carr also posted the complete records on his website. In a statement Friday, Ayyadurai said the charges were ultimately dismissed.

But the interview Thursday quickly descended into both men trying to — Carr repeatedly asking “Have you ever been arrested?” and Ayyudurai simultaneously asking “Do you want to beat Elizabeth Warren?”

Ayyudurai’s mic appears to be cut off at one point. After the segment, Ayyadurai characterized the interview as an “ambush” and accused the radio host of supporting Rep. Geoff Diehl.

“You’re part of the hack-o-rama, Howie,” Ayyudari said during an off-air exchange, which Carr later posted online.