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‘Pretty safe to say…’: Trump's top aide speaks on Ramaswamy's chance as VP pick
Donald Trump aide Jason Miller told the New York Post that voters could “probably” rule out Vivek Ramaswamy as the ex-president's vice presidential pick.
A top adviser of former US President Donald Trump has ruled out Indian-American longshot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as the Republican frontrunner's running mate.
Trump aide Jason Miller told the New York Post that voters could “probably” reject Ramaswamy as the ex-president's vice presidential pick.
“Pretty safe to say it won't be Vivek,” Miller said, citing Trump's sharp attack on the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur the previous night.
In a blistering social media post on January 13, Trump hit out "very sly" Ramaswamy, stating that “a vote for Vivek is a vote for the other side". He added that voters should not get “duped” by his "deceitful campaign tricks", and that Ramaswamy is a threat to MAGA -- Make America Great Again.
Trump's rant against Ramaswamy came as his campaign was handing out t-shirts bearing the slogan – "Save Trump, Vote Vivek”. The t-shirts caught the ex-president's attention when Ramaswamy posted a picture with a group of youngsters wearing them after his event in Rock Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday.
“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,' etc. Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on the same day.
“Very sly, but a vote for Vivek is a vote for the ‘other side' — don't get duped by this. Vote for ‘TRUMP, don't waste your vote! Vivek is not MAGA," he added.
This was Trump's first public attacks against Ramaswamy. Until now, he has mostly avoided doing so due to 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur's praise for him.
After Trump's post, Ramaswamy took to X (formerly Twitter) and said he respects "the hell out of Trump" and that he's the “best President of the 21st century.”
Also Read: Donald Trump has to pay nearly $400K to The New York Times and its three reporters, says judge
Donald Trump says he has 'already decided on 2024 running mate'
Nikki Haley, the former US Ambassador to the UN and the solo woman candidate in the Republican's presidential race, has dismissed to officially decline a possible VP slot.
The GOP race’s clear front-runner, Trump, last week said that he has already chosen his No. 2 but refused to reveal the name yet.
Ahead of Iowa's presidential caucuses, some Iowa voters expressed their desire to see a political outsider, a woman or a minority as Trump’s running mate.
Ramaswamy, who had shot up sharply in GOP primary polls, currently stands at the fourth position trailing behind Haley, Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The first official contest of the 2024 presidential election will be conducted on Monday in Iowa with the state's closely-followed caucuses.
