With former President Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential primary field by dozens of percentage points according to most polls, speculation is beginning to mount regarding whether any of his Republican rivals might be slated to join his general election campaign as a running mate.
One by one, however, Trump’s primary contenders are rejecting any suggestion that they would accept a vice presidential role if it is offered.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was the latest to issue such a statement. Trump previously signaled that he might consider Ramaswamy as a running mate.
Although Ramaswamy has expressed more support for Trump’s policies than the rest of the field, he reiterated that he is only focused on securing the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.
Referencing his life and ambitions with his wife during a recent Fox News Channel interview, he asserted: “I didn’t get to where I am — I’m 38 years old, I’ve founded multiple multibillion-dollar companies, we’re blessed with the American dream to be able to self-finance and lift this campaign up — I didn’t get to where I am and Apoorva didn’t get to where she is by being ‘Plan B’ people.”
He went on to signal optimism about his campaign’s chances in Iowa, where the Jan. 15 caucuses will give Republican voters the first opportunity to directly weigh in on the primary race.
“I’m actually confident we’re going to over-deliver massively at the Iowa caucus,” Ramaswamy said.
He echoed those remarks in a recent social media post responding to reports that his campaign had stopped spending on television advertisements.
Presidential TV ad spending is idiotic, low-ROI & a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ.
We’re doing it differently. Spending $$ in a way that follows data…apparently a crazy idea in US politics.
Big surprise coming on Jan 15. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/i2X7Q5d2T9
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 27, 2023
“Many of the people supporting us are first-time caucus-goers, some of them young people, some of them America-first patriots or libertarians who haven’t thought of themselves as traditional Republicans, who are coming out in droves,” Ramaswamy explained. “I think we’re going to have a major surprise on Jan. 15.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis previously asserted that he would not consider joining a theoretical Trump campaign.
“I can tell you, under any circumstance, I will not accept that because that’s not why I’m running,” he said earlier this month. “I’d rather be governor than vice president, no question. I can do more for my state and this country without question.”
DeSantis criticized former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley for refusing to “answer directly” whether she would consider a position as Trump’s running mate. She responded with a somewhat equivocal statement indicating that she does not “play for a second.”
