Who is Vivek Ramaswamy?
Vivek Ramaswamy is a 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur who has emerged as the most potent threat to Donald Trump in the Republican race for the White House in 2024. He is the son of Indian Hindu immigrants and a Harvard graduate who made his fortune by founding Roivant Sciences, a company that raised hundreds of millions of dollars with bold claims about an Alzheimer’s drug that ultimately failed its clinical trial. He has no political experience, but he has gained a following among conservatives by writing a book called Woke, Inc., which criticizes the corporate embrace of social justice causes. He calls himself “a patriot who speaks the truth” and vows to “restore the American dream”.
How did he shake up the Republican race?
Ramaswamy made a splash in the first Republican TV debate last week, hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee. He was widely viewed as the “winner” of the debate, as he delivered zingers to his more established opponents and made provocative comments that were guaranteed to get a response. He claimed to be the only candidate on stage who was not “bought and paid for” or a “super PAC puppet”. He called the climate change agenda a “hoax” and promised “revolution” rather than “incremental reform”. He also said that one of his first acts as president would be to pardon Trump for whatever he may have been convicted of by then.
He raised $450,000 in the hours after the debate and was the most-Googled individual name both during and in the hours after Wednesday night’s face-off. An Ipsos poll of debate-watchers found that 26% thought Ramaswamy did the best job in the debate, second only to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was given the win by 29% of debate-watchers. His polling numbers have finally reached double digits among Republican voters who say they back Ramaswamy.
What are his main policies and positions?
Ramaswamy describes himself as a “conservative populist” who wants to take on the “woke elite” and the “big tech oligarchy”. He advocates for:
- Cutting taxes and regulations for small businesses and entrepreneurs
- Ending foreign wars and making deals with adversaries like Russia and China
- Defending free speech and religious liberty from censorship and cancel culture
- Opposing abortion, gun control, and critical race theory
- Supporting school choice, border security, and law enforcement
- Repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a market-based system
- Reforming immigration and trade policies to protect American workers
He also supports some unconventional ideas, such as:
- Creating a new branch of government called the “Fourth Branch” that would oversee the executive, legislative, and judicial branches
- Establishing a national lottery system that would randomly select citizens to serve in Congress for one term
- Launching a “moonshot” project to cure Alzheimer’s disease by 2030
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Ramaswamy’s strengths include:
- His charisma and confidence on the debate stage and in interviews
- His ability to appeal to both Trump loyalists and anti-Trump conservatives
- His outsider status and self-funding capacity that make him independent from special interests
- His personal story and background that showcase his success and diversity
Ramaswamy’s weaknesses include:
- His lack of political experience and knowledge of governance
- His controversial and divisive statements that alienate moderates and independents
- His questionable business record and ethics that expose him to scrutiny and criticism
- His vulnerability to attacks from Trump and his allies who may see him as a threat
Can he beat Trump and Biden?
Ramaswamy faces an uphill battle to win the Republican nomination, let alone the presidency. He has to overcome Trump’s dominance in the party, as well as the competition from more established candidates like DeSantis, Pence, Haley, Cruz, Rubio, Cotton, Noem, etc. He also has to convince voters that he is qualified and trustworthy enough to lead the country in a time of crisis.
If he somehow manages to become the nominee, he will have an even harder time defeating Biden or whoever is the Democratic candidate in 2024. He will have to broaden his appeal beyond his base and win over swing states that are crucial for electoral victory. He will also have to face the challenges of running a national campaign against a well-funded and organized opponent.
Ramaswamy may have shaken up the Republican race with his debut performance, but he still has a long way to go before he can claim the White House.
