Vivek Ramaswamy's Support Of Donald Trump, Explained

Among the more prominent figures who ventured to New York to support Donald Trump during his hush money trial was someone who once wanted his job. Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran against the former president in the 2024 Republican primaries, arrived at the Manhattan courthouse during the week Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen testified about his part in the alleged cover-up. It might seem unusual for a one-time opponent to demonstrate this kind of loyalty, but Ramaswamy isn't your average politician. His stance on conservative issues, along with a staunch refusal to criticize Trump, may soon earn him a very prestigious title in the presidential race.

Like Trump, Ramaswamy comes from a privileged and decidedly nonpolitical background. With Ivy League degrees in biology and law, the Cincinnati native founded a biotech company before moving on to finance. Since 2022, he has headed up his own asset management firm, which distinguishes itself by not using investors' funds "to advance environmental and social agendas that many citizens and capital owners disagree with," as Ramaswamy's website explains. This "anti-woke" branding is just one of the many ways the controversial businessman has ingratiated himself to Trump as the similarly outspoken politician mulls over his choice of running mate.

Like the former president he so admires, Vivek Ramaswamy seemingly came out of nowhere and quickly became a serious candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. The businessman raised his public profile through frequent appearances on conservative talk shows and at various local events (one such appearance didn't turn out so well though; after Ramaswamy performed Eminem's "Lose Yourself" at the Iowa State Fair, the rapper sent him a cease-and-desist notice, similar to the times musicians told Donald Trump to stop playing their music at his promotional events). As the race heated up, Ramaswamy joined fellow candidates — among them Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Chris Christie — to offer his views on the issues foremost in voters' minds. 

The wannabe politician, who's 38 at the time of writing, presented himself as a young and fiery counterpart to his older and more experienced opponents, and this seemed to work quite well at first. Eventually, though, Ramaswamy's aggressive approach became a turn-off even to the debate audiences, with Christie calling him "the most obnoxious blowhard in America" (via ABC News). Meanwhile, the businessman's criticism of Haley as "fascist" and "corrupt" came off as bullying. Plus, the strategy ultimately failed; after trailing in the Iowa caucuses, Ramaswamy dropped out of the race. One factor did work in his favor: Unlike DeSantis, he didn't burn bridges. Following Trump's victory in Iowa, Ramaswamy formally endorsed him and joined his next rally. 

Even during the outspoken commentator's own campaign, he refused to criticize the former commander-in-chief; in fact, Ramaswamy gushed that Trump was "the greatest president of the 21st century" (via CNN). 

You'll never hear Vivek Ramaswamy utter a NSFW nickname for Donald Trump, despite all the gossip and scandals surrounding him. In fact, the former GOP candidate promised that if he made it to the Oval Office and the former president were in jail by that time, he would issue a pardon. It's exactly that kind of loyalty that Trump values in his inner circle, which is why he's reportedly considering Ramaswamy as his 2024 running mate. In a 2023 interview with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck, Trump opined, "He's a very, very, very intelligent person. He's got good energy, and he could be some form of something," adding, "I tell you, I think he'd be very good," (via Axios). However, the controversial politician has apparently changed his mind.

Although Ramaswamy was among the vice-presidential hopefuls who joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago for the Republican National Convention's annual spring meeting, the New York Post hinted that he's not on the short list for the job. Nor was the businessman among the people Trump mentioned as possible VPs in a recording obtained by Axios. Of course, even if his favorite president did make the offer, Ramaswamy might not accept it. In August 2023, he confirmed to Fox News, "I'm not interested in a different position in the government" other than the presidency. But considering Trump's insistence on complete loyalty from his inner circle, it's easy to imagine him bringing Ramaswamy on board his cabinet in another capacity. After all, stranger things have happened (like Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's White House jobs).