Former President Donald Trump believes Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy will come around to endorse him for president.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “He will, I am sure, endorse me. But Vivek is a good man, and is not done yet!” This led to rampant speculation that Ramaswamy may be in line for a prominent post in a Trump White House.
As for the endorsement, all candidates who were part of the primary debates sponsored by the Republican National Committee signed a pledge to back the eventual nominee.
Of course, Trump expressed his belief that such an endorsement would not come from a party obligation but genuine and heartfelt support.
The Ramaswamy campaign suspended all television advertising in recent days, according to NBC News. The candidate posted on X, formerly Twitter, that such expenditures are “idiotic” and “a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ.”
'He will, I am sure, Endorse me': Trump predicts rival Ramaswamy will back his presidential bid https://t.co/KGACeogzxk pic.twitter.com/Id2n9SYBPO
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) December 27, 2023
Ramaswamy then added that he will spend campaign funds “in a way that follows data…apparently a crazy idea in U.S. politics.” He insisted there is a “big surprise” in store on Jan. 15, the date of the Iowa caucuses.
Despite the bluster of a candidate still in the race, speculation is rampant that he will abandon the campaign. Republicans face the critical Iowa contest as well as the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23.
And on Sunday, Ramaswamy told Fox News that he is not in the running simply to be Trump’s VP. Though pulling television campaign ads is a bad optic, he affirmed he’s staying in the race for the top spot on the GOP ticket.
Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy’s press secretary, told NBC News that money is still going into marketing the candidate. “We are focused on bringing out the voters we’ve identified — the best way to reach them is using addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls, and doors.”
But his denials did little to calm the social media whirlwind of guesswork over his intentions.
As for Trump, he told an interviewer in August that Ramaswamy could be a “very good” vice president. Others believed to be in contention include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
