Who’s Vivek Ramaswamy? He's the Trump 2.0 candidate who’s making waves in the Republican primaries
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Thursday, August 31, 2023
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The New York Times described him as promising “to exert breathtaking power in ways that Donald Trump never did”.
Key Points:
- The New York Times described him as promising “to exert breathtaking power in ways that Donald Trump never did”.
- An article for Time magazine called him a “rockstar for those who think cancel culture is threatening every corner of American life”.
- Well-spoken, polemical and supremely self-assured, it’s no surprise that the Trump-loving Vivek Ramaswamy has emerged as the new darling of the Republican presidential primary field.
- While still some 40 points out of first place, it’s a sudden uptick for a candidate who was, until recently, a virtual unknown.
The anti-wokester
- A self-branded “non-white nationalist” he speaks stridently against the modern progressive movement.
- Many of his policies, like the revolution he seeks to provoke, are decidedly counter-establishment.
- He advocates hardening the US-Mexico border “where criminals are coming in every day” through the deployment of military resources.
Slash aid to Ukraine
- He wants to slash aid to Ukraine, implying that what’s in America’s best interest isn’t necessarily what’s in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s worst interest.
- To end the war, Ramaswamy proposes granting Russia “major concessions”, while “freezing … current lines of control in a Korean War-style armistice agreement”.
- In exchange, “Russia has to leave its treaty” and its joint military agreement with China.
Creating Trump 2.0
- As “Trump 2.0,” his challenge is a delicate one: to please the right-wing base, while still separating himself enough from Trump to win over converts.
- Ramaswamy has attacked criminal prosecutions of Trump as “politically motivated and setting an awful precedent.
- He’s even hinted at hiring Trump as an "adviser” or “mentor” in his White House.
What’s next?
- Washington Post columnist George F. Will has derided him as “comparatively, a child”.
- Trump holds a commanding lead and looks poised to dominate Iowa and New Hampshire, before running the table in the remaining primaries.
- Whether there’s substance behind his candidacy — and whether he has independent staying power — are the big questions for #Vivek2024 to answer.