Former President Donald Trump has suggested upstart sensation Vivek Ramaswamy may be a viable pick as his running mate, if Trump prevails in the Republican Party presidential primary.
Trump suggested that in a recent interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
But Trump’s potential backing of Ramaswamy comes as polls show the 38-year-old millionaire biotech businessman has lost some of his luster, despite what voters saw as a strong debate performance last week.
Trump ignited the speculation after Beck asked him what he thought of “Vice President Ramaswamy.”
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“He’s a very, very, very intelligent person. He’s got good energy, and he could be some form of something,” Trump replied. “I tell you, I think he’d be very good.”
Trump, whose bombast at times knows no bounds, also told Beck Ramaswamy should recede from seeking to be a lightning rod for the right.
“He’s starting to get out there a little bit. He’s getting a little bit controversial,” Trump added. “I got to tell him: ‘Be a little bit careful. Some things you have to hold in just a little bit, right?'”
Trump’s hint at would-be VP Ramaswamy is not that surprising.
Ramaswamy has been one candidate Trump has not attacked during the campaign. As the Tampa Free Press reported last week, rumors abound that Ramaswamy only entered the race to sabotage Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Trump’s behalf.
Ramaswamy “is more focused on making sure Ron DeSantis doesn’t earn the GOP nomination for president in 2024 than he is on winning it himself,” the Florida Standard reported recently.
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At the time of that report, Ramaswamy had surged over the past month, escalating from 3% to 11%, eclipsing DeSantis for second place.
Ramaswamy burnished his credentials last week at the debate, where a group of nearly 800 GOP voters rated his performance second behind DeSantis.
Yet Newsmax reported on Wednesday that it is Ramaswamy who is now slipping.
“The [debate] buzz has not translated into a poll ratings surge for candidate Vivek Ramaswamy,” Newsmax noted. “In fact, several respected polls released since the debate have support for the upstart candidate declining.”
Newsmax reported:
- An Emerson College poll out had Ramaswamy dropping from 10% before the debate to 9% afterward.
- The Morning Consult tracking poll put Ramaswamy at 11% pre-debate but at 10% post-debate.
- A Public Opinion Strategies survey revealed a larger dip, as Ramaswamy slid from 10% prior to the debate to 7%.
Dick Morris, a political strategist who advises Trump but who also once worked for Bill Clinton, told Newsmax, “While polling data suggests Ramaswamy was liked by voters, he is not getting them to back him in significant numbers. He’s running as a pro-Trump candidate, so voters are asking if he’s so pro-Trump why doesn’t he just endorse the former president and drop out the race.”
“And they also ask themselves why pick a 38-year-old amateur who often takes extremist views over Donald Trump, a seasoned pro who has been vetted and can govern from day one,” Morris added.
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