‘Promising Candidate’, Elon Musk vouches for GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy after 'helping' DeSantis launch campaign

GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy gains support from Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk ahead of the first debate. Ron DeSantis sees him as a threat.

Published on: Aug 18, 2023, 10:00:44 IST

By Vertika Kanaujia

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Ahead of the much-anticipated first GOP Presidential debate scheduled next week Indian American candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been endorsed by two influential voices.

Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Iowa State Fair Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP/PTI)(AP08_12_2023_000358A) (AP)

Impressed by his views on geo-politics Tucker called him ‘one of the best-versed voices in policy' he has spoken with.

Tucker's views were also endorsed by Elon Musk who shared the interview video on his platform, calling Ramaswamy ‘a very promising candidate.’ Interestingly Musk's tacit endorsement comes after he pitched for Ron DeSantis.

Interestingly Florida Governor had also chosen Twitter Spaces event to announce his presidential candidacy, speaking alongside Musk despite technical difficulties that overshadowed the launch.

Americans are expecting an exciting face-off between DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy who have been piggybacking on Trump's posturing to win over GOP support ahead of the primaries. With doubts over Trump's presence at the event all eyes will be on DeSantis and Ramaswamy.

Also Read: Will Donald Trump show up at next week's GOP presidential debate?

Ramaswamy has rocketed up the polls since joining the field as a complete unknown and political novice. According to national polling averages, Trump has about 53 percent support, with DeSantis far behind at 15 percent and Ramaswamy in third at 7 percent.

DeSantis appears to see Ramaswamy as a threat, as leaked debate prep materials instruct the Florida governor to take a “sledgehammer” to the rival candidate. The pair will share a stage at the Aug. 23 debate in Wisconsin, the first of the campaign. Trump is not expected to attend

Also Read: 64% of Americans will not vote for Trump in 2024: Poll Results

According to a Bloomberg report Ron DeSantis considers Ramaswamy as vulnerable for his ties to China and willingness to join a trans-Pacific trade deal. DeSantis' team has prepared a dossier against his political rival which claims CEO of Roivant Sciences in 2018, Ramaswamy partnered with a Chinese state-owned firm to start another company, Sinovant Sciences, and that he keynoted a conference in China.

The documents also target Ramaswamy’s stances on abortion and drug policy and link him to Democratic financier George Soros, a frequent target for Republicans. Ramaswamy received a Soros fellowship for new Americans over a decade ago.

(With Agency Inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vertika Kanaujia
Vertika Kanaujia is Editor Audience Growth at Hindustan Times and oversees the website’s coverage of business news, health, technology and internet culture. She is a Chevening Scholar and a Columbia Journalism University Fellow. Vertika has been a journalist for more than 18 years. After starting her career as a business journalist in TV she has worked with various leading news channels. You can email her at vertika.kanaujia@htdigital.in.Read More

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