Vivek Ramaswamy may run on joint ticket with Trump

INDIAN AMERICAN Republican candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, has hinted that he might run on a joint ticket with Donald Trump if he fails to secure the Republican nomination, reported The Telegraph.

Ramaswamy, 38, officially launched his presidential campaign in February, a move that initially appeared to be a long shot. While he still remains in the single digits in most polls, he has been steadily closing the gap with several competitors, notably Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who is currently striving to maintain his second-place standing.

Contrary to his prior assertion of exclusive interest in the presidency, Ramaswamy indicated that he might potentially align forces with Trump for the election, underscoring his confidence in his capacity to unite the nation.

However, the entrepreneur is not ruling out the possibility of teaming up with Trump if the latter secures the nomination for a third time, according to the report.

Ramaswamy has staunchly defended Trump's stance while simultaneously seeking to appeal to Christian evangelicals, a crucial demographic within the Republican primary electorate. Despite his Hindu background, Ramaswamy has been emphasizing that the foundation of the US is rooted in "Christian values" and "Judeo-Christian values," positioning himself as an American nationalist.

When queried about the potential role of becoming Trump's vice president, Ramaswamy responded, “See, this isn’t about me. If this were about me, sure. That’s a fine position for someone to have at my age. This is about reviving our country, and I can only reunite this country if I’m doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement.”

He went on to mention that despite being "almost half [Trump’s] age" and having "fresh legs," he would consider inviting Trump to serve as "my most valued adviser" within the White House.

Previously, he dismissed the notion of becoming Trump's running mate, maintaining that he could only effect the changes he envisions for the country by winning the top position.

Following Ramaswamy’s performance in Milwaukee on Wednesday (23), Trump remarked, “I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do.”

Trump himself shared a video clip of Ramaswamy arguing that he was "the best president of the 21st century," along with the comment, “This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big win in the debate because of a thing called truth. Thank you, Vivek!”

The most recent polls place Ramaswamy in third place, trailing behind Trump and DeSantis.