Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy was all in on being the Republican nominee for President, until he wasn't. Just hours after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucus, Ramaswamy dropped out of the race quicker than you could say his full name. He then immediately threw his hat into Donald Trump’s ring, endorsing him for the nomination.
It sure feels like Ramaswamy is angling for the VP position.
His personality and drive would fit. At 38 years old, he is a younger, more polished version of Trump, unafraid to make divisive comments. During a debate last fall, Ramaswamy blamed Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel for troubles within the party and then launched the website FireRonna.com.
He has referred to the events on Jan 6, 2021 as “an inside job” and has said that Big Tech helped to steal the 2020 presidential election. Both of those statements would make him popular with Trump and his voting base.
He is also approachable and engaging, which could appeal to people who agree with Trump’s policies but bristle at his coarseness. Ramaswamy could capture the attention of younger voters who fear that both the current President and the frontrunner for the Republican nomination are too old to withstand another four years in office. And that could set him up for his own presidential bid four years later.
As he withdrew from the race around midnight on Tuesday, Ramaswamy suggested his fellow also-ran Republican candidates do the same and make a unified stance alongside Trump. "We’re going to do our part now going forward to make sure America First lives on, to make sure Donald Trump is successful as the next president of the United States," he said. "I’m not going to be changing what I say to any tune other than the one that’s best for this country."