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Vivek Ramaswamy's presidential path relies on the Donald Trump factor, can he Trump the odd?
As the Iowa caucuses approach, Vivek Ramaswamy with a long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination, asserts his aim for the Oval Office.
With the Iowa caucuses days away, a question hangs over Vivek Ramaswamy's long-shot Republican presidential bid: is he aiming for the Oval Office, or something else entirely?
The biotech entrepreneur, 38, insists his sights are set on the presidency.
“I expect to be the president,” he stated during a whirlwind tour of Iowa. But his strategy hinges on a dramatic shake-up- Donald Trump's departure from the race.
Ramaswamy sees himself inheriting Trump's base if the former president, facing 91 criminal charges, is deemed ineligible to run.
‘The America First agenda cannot end with Donald Trump’
“The political elite want to eliminate Trump from contention and trot in their puppet to the White House,” he claimed.
“I think our base should not fall for that trap. I'm here to make sure they don't, that we don't. The America First agenda cannot end with Donald Trump.”
Despite his brash confidence, Ramaswamy's path is a steep climb. Polls put Trump far ahead, with Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley battling for second. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, trails in fourth, often in the single digits even in Iowa, his focal point.
Yet, he remains unflinching. A self-proclaimed "Trump defender," he calls the former president the "best president of the 21st century" and has offered him a potential cabinet position in his own administration. When pressed about running as Trump's vice president, he coyly admitted, "Anyone who says they wouldn't consider the job is being dishonest."
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Ramaswamy's campaign is nothing short of intense. He's visited all 99 Iowa counties twice, aiming for 400 events before the caucuses. Even a blizzard couldn't slow him down, with over 100 supporters braving the snow to see him in Garner.
For some, Ramaswamy's youthful appeal and opposition to carbon capture pipelines resonate. Robert Cloutier, a disabled veteran, plans to caucus for him, seeking a "moral compass" and younger leadership in the party.
But not all Trump supporters are convinced
Roxana Main, a retiree, remains hesitant despite her concerns about Trump's legal woes. "All that legal stuff," she worries, leaning towards DeSantis as a potential alternative.
With Iowa just days away, Ramaswamy's gamble will soon be tested. Can he galvanize Trump's base? Or will his long-shot bid prove to be just that?
