Vivek Ramaswamy, the multi-millionaire entrepreneur who ran as an America-First candidate in the GOP primary, dropped off the race last Monday and immediately endorsed Trump following the announcement of his withdrawal.
The Iowa Caucus was the most decisive in sorting out the contenders of the GOP Primary besides Donald Trump. The Former President of the United States emerged as the clear winner of that caucus and the undisputable frontrunner of the Republican Party. Vivek Ramaswamy ended his campaign with 6.4% in the polls according to FiveThirtyEight.
Ramaswamy said he made the decision after determining there was no path forward for him in the race, “absent things that we don’t want to see happen in this country.”
Vivek Ramaswamy rose to national prominence during these primaries by embracing an America-First; patriotic agenda last summer. At some point, he was even ahead of DeSantis in the polls but then his numbers dropped considerably as time went on. What happened? Why did he flop?
First, there was no chance that Vivek Ramaswamy was going to be the nominee of the Republican Party in the general election. With Trump in the race, it was remotely impossible to displace him unless the fate of the law intervened to remove him from the ballots. But Vivek did not even campaign to be elected president. He had other motives in mind.
Another reason that mainstream media such as the New York Times have stated as the cause of Ramaswamy's failure is he engaged in several conspiracy theories such as questioning the government’s account of 9/11, he refused to condemn White supremacy as a real issue in America, and stated that he would pardon Donald Trump if he was elected President. His isolationist views and his assertions that U.S. politicians back Israel because of their personal interests drew the indignation of influential conservative commentators, including Sean Hannity of Fox News.
According to Politico, Vivek Ramaswamy failed because he was not a leader but a follower who desperately wanted to be part of a pack that was never his own creation. Politico reiterated his avoidance of criticizing Trump any chance he got; he praised the Former President on every debate stage instead of focusing on his own merits and what sets him apart from other political candidates.
No one is in Ramaswamy’s mind to exactly know what were his true intentions during these primaries. As observers of the political landscape, we can say that Vivek knew he was not going to win. But he fathomed that running for presidency gives a candidate national exposure, especially with such a bombastic personality like his, which is very hard to ignore. He used this campaign as a stepping-stone to build a national profile for himself for future political endeavors. What Vivek is probably aiming for is a strategic cabinet post, a post that holds significant political power.
Donald Trump recently stated he chose his running mate but refused to mention that person’s name. This is, of course, a brilliant marketing tactic from the Former President to make the media keep guessing and maintain their attention on him. Donald Trump has praised Vivek several times for promoting the America-First agenda, which makes him a suitable candidate on Donald Trump’s VP shortlist.
What Donald Trump essentially looking for in a vice president is not a politician who believes in the constitutional principles of the republic and its institutions, but someone who would give him unwavering loyalty needs to unbotheredly pursue his agenda. In that optic, it is clear that Vivek Ramaswamy has, indeed, a strong chance to become Donald Trump’s running mate. The Former President will soon let the world know who he chose to accompany him for the next four years if elected. And if Vivek is that person, this would not come as a surprise.
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