The Republican presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, attacked former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, something unusual due to the political and ideological closeness he has shown so far with the New York magnate.
During a rally at Pizza Ranch in Rock Rapids, Iowa, one person asked Ramaswamy how he would “not make the same mistakes as Trump,” adding that Trump had failed in who he hired in his administration, NBC News reported.
“I can tell you clearly that Nikki Haley will not be in my administration,” Ramaswamy said, referring to when Donald Trump tapped her into his administration as ambassador to the United Nations. “I can tell you straight.”
On the other hand, although he was not as forceful as he usually is with the rest of his rivals, Ramaswamy commented on Trump’s supposedly silent stance on plans to build an oil pipeline in Iowa, which he opposes.
“I don’t know where it is in this carbon capture pipeline. There are certain issues on which I certainly go further than Trump,” said the Republican candidate.
The end of the race?
These criticisms by Ramaswamy of the former president come after Trump suggested that Ramaswamy’s campaign would come to an end. This is due to the news that the candidate is stopping his television campaign less than a month before the elections in Iowa and New Hampshire.
“I’m sure he’ll have my back,” Trump commented, leaving open the possibility of Ramaswamy’s retro. “But Vivek is a good man and he’s not done yet!” he added later.
Faced with the news that it is pulling television ads, Ramaswamy campaign press secretary Tricia McLaughlin clarified in a statement that they are dedicating more money to other platforms.
“We are focused on attracting the voters we have identified; The best way to reach them is through targeted advertising, mail, text messages, live calls and doors to communicate with our voters about Vivek’s vision for America, make his plan for the caucus and convert Let’s Get Them Out,” he said.
On the other hand, Ramaswamy on Sunday was skeptical about the prospect of taking a position in an eventual second Trump administration. “I didn’t get to where I am, [su esposa, Apoorva Ramaswamy] “She didn’t get to where she is by being ‘Plan B people,’ so I’m really confident that we’re going to deliver tremendously in the Iowa caucus,” he told Fox News, as reported by The Hill.
Staunch defender
Despite recent criticism, Ramaswamy has been a strong supporter of Trump in a Republican presidential campaign marked by constant criticism of the former president.
At another rally in Iowa, the young billionaire said he “loves” Trump. The former president has returned praise before, such as when he said he was “very good.”
And he was recently the most forceful Republican candidate against the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove former President Trump from the state’s ballot for alleged violation of the Constitution.
“I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado Republican Party primary unless Trump is also allowed to be on the state ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie and Nikki Haley do the same immediately – or else they will endorse tacitly this illegal maneuver that will have disastrous consequences for our country,” Ramaswamy said.
Despite this, none of the other candidates responded positively to his call.
Keep reading:
- Ramaswamy starred in the Republican debate calling Haley a “fascist” and defending Trump
- DeSantis says he doesn’t like Trump’s ‘bloody’ language on immigration
- Haley denies interest in being Trump’s vice president: “I’m not playing for second place”