Vivek Ramaswamy says he is operating an “America first” marketing campaign, urges Iowans to caucus for him to “save Trump”

At a packed diner in Corning, Iowa, a voter proclaimed, “I am a Trump woman, however you are on my radar” to Republican hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy throughout a December marketing campaign cease. 

Her sentiment echoed that of many caucus goers — she likes Ramaswamy, however not sufficient to be swayed from former President Donald Trump.

Ramaswamy has taken a singular and considerably puzzling path within the Republican presidential major. He is presenting himself as Trump’s greatest supporter and the pure successor to Trump — though Trump himself is a 2024 candidate, and polls persistently present the previous president main the sector. However till just lately, Trump has spent little time in Iowa, whereas Ramaswamy has basically moved to Iowa and campaigns consistently, apparently making an attempt to outpace Trump.

These efforts have been on show at an array of occasions: Ramaswamy internet hosting city halls and providing free drinks on faculty campuses, difficult faculty college students to push-up contests, and recording TikTok dances with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. 

He is the primary presidential candidate ever to finish a “Full Grassley” — visiting all 99 counties in Iowa twice over — with a number of marketing campaign stops in a day. 

Ramaswamy has additionally more and more leaned into conspiracy theories that resonate with a fringe ingredient of the Republican Celebration because the race continues. He has advised the Jan. 6, 2021, riot was an “inside job” and raised questions concerning the 9/11 assaults.

“I feel it’s reputable to say what number of police, what number of federal brokers, had been on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Perhaps the reply is zero. It in all probability is zero for all I do know, proper? I’ve no motive to suppose it was something aside from zero. But when we’re doing a complete evaluation of what occurred on 9/11, we’ve a 9/11 fee, completely that must be a solution the general public is aware of the reply to,” Ramaswamy informed the Atlantic, suggesting federal brokers could have been on the aircraft through the 9/11 assaults. 

He is expressed doubts concerning the thwarted kidnapping plot towards Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. And just lately, he floated the concept that political elites plan to exchange President Joe Biden because the Democratic nominee.

After disseminating his conspiratorial views throughout Iowa, Ramaswamy secured the endorsement of Steve King, the nine-term former Republican consultant from Iowa with a historical past of incendiary, racist rhetoric.

Within the eyes of the extremely loyal Republican base, Ramaswamy has positioned himself to safe help from Trump backers not as a frontrunner, however moderately, as a sidekick or potential future candidate.

Whereas Trump has stated he likes Ramaswamy, there is no indication that he can be thought of for a vice presidential position.

Ramswamy typically says at marketing campaign stops that the America First agenda would not belong to 1 man and touts himself because the candidate who can push it ahead whereas bringing in a brand new base of Republican voters, regardless of struggling to ballot previous the one digits and lagging far behind the previous president in Iowa and New Hampshire. Trump typically summed up his international coverage priorities as America First — emphasizing that U.S. nationwide pursuits ought to at all times be the primary consideration.

Jamila Jones, 38, a Floridian who moved to Iowa to attend college, stated, “I actually like Vivek. He is outspoken, he says what he must say, and he is very upfront and sincere.”

However between Trump and Ramaswamy, “positively Trump,” Jones stated.

“I feel perhaps within the subsequent 4 years; 2028, I feel he ought to positively run once more, and he would possibly get that prime seat, however proper now, it is all Trump,” Jones added.

Whereas making an attempt to drag from the previous president’s base, Ramaswamy has positioned himself as a candidate who will “save Trump.”

“We are going to honor his legacy greater than anyone else. I am going as far as to say if you wish to save Trump and his legacy, however save Trump, the person himself,” he stated in Decorah, maybe referring to a pardon for the previous president, who’s going through 91 felony fees in 4 completely different circumstances. “I am gonna ask you to vote for me. And I do know that is counterintuitive, however that is what this nation requires. And I feel that is why I’ll keep on this not solely by means of this Iowa caucus, however by means of the very finish.”

Ramaswamy says he and the previous president have a “good relationship,” and he has persistently vowed to pardon Trump, whose authorized woes he characterizes as a witch hunt to maintain Trump from returning to the White Home. 

He typically tells voters on the marketing campaign path that the deep state will not permit Mr. Trump to be the Republican nominee, and promotes himself as the choice.

“Subsequent yr, there’s gonna be a variety of surprising issues that play out in 2024. If you wish to observe the place this highway ends, my concern is they don’t seem to be going to let sure candidates like Donald Trump get to the end line,” Ramaswamy stated throughout a Fox Information interview.

Ramaswamy as Trump operating mate?

“Why not wait till 2028 to run when Trump is out of the race?” and “Would you be VP on a Trump ticket?” Each are questions which might be raised typically at Ramaswamy occasions throughout Iowa and New Hampshire. 

“President Trump ought to take someone perhaps that hasn’t been in politics earlier than. Vivek is nice however he wants extra expertise I feel,” stated Vernon Glen Millsap, 67, a retired postal service employee from Iowa, who thinks Ramaswamy could be a very good vice chairman for Trump.

The Ohio businessman insists he is not operating for second place — and he has recent legs in a warfare that he says Mr. Trump has been wounded in. However he is additionally dedicated to eradicating his identify from major ballots in states the place Mr. Trump’s eligibility is below query until the previous president can seem on these ballots. Ramaswamy says he desires to win, however not by knocking out the competitors. His marketing campaign has even despatched out mailers in Iowa touting that dedication in hopes of encouraging voters within the Hawkeye state to caucus for him, however lacking from the mailers is even a photograph of Ramaswamy. As an alternative, it reveals Trump’s mugshot. 

When requested straight by a voter in Estherville, Iowa if he’d be Trump’s operating mate, Ramaswamy responded, “If Donald Trump is the nominee, he could have my full help and no matter approach he wants it.”

With below every week remaining till the Iowa caucuses, Ramaswamy says he is planning for victory, although ballot numbers say in any other case, and so most of the voters CBS Information has spoken with see him as their second alternative.