Trump 2.0: Will Donald Trump Ditch Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy Post 2024 U.S. Presidential Polls Win?
With the date for the U.S. presidential election 2024 just around the corner, political experts and commentators are busy trying to figure out how the race will pan out for the Republicans, and more importantly which economic news this week alliances will endure after elections. One relationship that has been quite sensationalized by the media involves a figure from the Donald Trump camp and Vivek Ramaswamy. A 37-year-old Indian-American biotech entrepreneur, author, and political outsider, Krishnamoorthi has emerged as the most prominent figure of his party by largely espousing the populistic agenda of Donald Trump. So, ahead of the looming election in 2024, one’s mind can’t help but wonder what is going to happen to this political alliance-especially if Donald Trump is able to secure a second term in office. Will Trump, known for his transactional political style, continue to hold dear the support and vision that Ramaswamy brings to the table, or will he “ditch” the rising star for more loyal or familiar figures in his administration?
The Emergence of Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy has emerged as the most spectacular Newcomer in the US political arena, positioning himself as the country’s fiercest critic of the status quo while economic news this week embracing the same principles that catapulted Trump into power initially. With Woke, Inc., which he used to castigate increasingly corporate America’s political correctness spilling over into culture and governance, Ramaswamy, who built his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry and became a pointed critic of “woke capitalism,” first made waves with his attack on the establishment and fierce advocacy for right-wing economic doctrine. This has generated an engagement of attention among disillusioned conservatives, especially those who weighed supporting Trump in 2016 and 2020.
In the 2024 contest, Ramaswamy has molded himself as an outsider who can “drain the swamp” and reform a Republican Party that he insists has lost its way from foundational values. While going on record multiple times to voice his deep admiration for Trump’s presidency and policies thereof, Ramaswamy has also fashioned himself as the alternative to Trump, particularly appealing to the younger voter interested in his more cerebral, business-minded approach.
Maybe the tightrope Ramaswamy has walked between lavishing praise on Trump’s vision while at the same time injecting innovation that distances him from the former president has, however, led to some speculation in this regard: Would Trump see Ramaswamy as a jewel in his administration if he manages to secure a second term, or would he look at Ramaswamy as a rival? How bright would be the star of Ramaswamy in such a Trump administration, or he would simply move on the sideline while Trump asserted himself tighter than ever again?
Politics Pragmatism: Trump
Donald Trump always functions within the political space with acutely sharp sensibility of self-interest, normally forming and abandoning alliances whenever it served his interests. One of the signature characteristics of Trump leadership is the ability to self-locate among sycophants whose loftiest ambition appears to be advancing some agenda of person unknown. Never were Trump’s loyalists unconditional. Figures like Mike Pence, Stephen Miller, and Rudy Giuliani were key figures during Trump’s first term but also vulnerable to being cast aside when no longer serving his purposes or if their relationship with him became sufficiently strained. Loyalty for Trump has often been about utility as much as it has been about personal trust.
This raises a big question about the prospects for Vivek Ramaswamy in a possible Trump 2.0 administration. Early on, Ramaswamy had been effusive about Trump, yet he comes across as a reformer. He is not an obsequious acolyte; he has his own political philosophy and ambitions. Obviously, there’s some overlap between his impassioned indictments of the “woke” corporate world and the deep state with the deep pocket of Trump’s campaign rhetoric. In spite of this, Ramaswamy often repeats that his independence is a significant differentiator: he is an outsider. Therefore, one would further be able to construe the ascension of Ramaswamy as further consolidation of Trump’s place in American politics or as an implied undermining of his dominance.
What can Trump gain from keeping Ramaswamy close?
Of course, there would be political reasons for keeping him in orbit if Trump were to go on and win the presidency in 2024, since Ramaswamy is an extremely successful businessman, a charismatic speaker, and who has deeply understood the cultural and economic forces driving America, hence a great ally for Trump’s second term. A proponent of free market policies and limited government but opposed to globalism, Ramaswamy will support Trump in parts of his agenda: corporate regulation, economic nationalism, and the cultural backlash against progressivism.
Appeals among the younger, broader swaths of the Republican electorate—Indian-Americans and Asian-Americans—could be gold mines for Trump, who so far has been unable to offer anything beside his core white working-class base. Ramaswamy, again on meritocracy and free speech, might resonate more with that skeptical youth, making Trump’s 2024 and beyond appeal much wider.
The Possibility of a Contention
Now, might having Ramaswamy around have some good sides to it? Trump has always been one to let potential economic news this week opponents not get too high up. So the question is: Will Ramaswamy be a political threat in the future?. While Trump has never failed to tout outsiders to the highest offices-be it Ben Carson and Rand Paul-the indomitable apologist has revealed an even more perilous streak: a control freak intent on bringing subjection to anything that dares to challenge his authority. To the extent that Ramaswamy is sequestering himself into the Republican Party, or if he has clout with young conservatives, then Trump will see him as a more political foe than useful friend.
This has been a pattern of the Trump career: he often lionized other great personalities but only when it doesn’t threaten him. If Ramaswamy becomes too popular or veers too far from the most consequential of Trump policies, then Trump might try to throw him over for some more gentle and less ambitious competitor.
Conclusion
KreativanSays that a Strategic Alliance or a Political Threat?
Of course, it is their actions toward the 2024 election and beyond that will shape the future of Donald Trump’s association with Vivek Ramaswamy. That Ramaswamy’s popularity and influence within the Republican Party have been building steadily are becoming increasingly plausible; that, however, still left much in play, especially about the Trump political pragmatism. If Trump gets re-elected for a second term, he might very well find it convenient to retain Ramaswamy as one of his supporters for his economic and cultural policies. However, if Ramaswamy attempts to take on the supremacy of Trump, or challenge him, Trump has every right not to give it a second thought and to distance himself from the young entrepreneur.
Trump politics places a high premium on loyalty but utility is the highest. The future that awaits Ramaswamy in a world of Trump 2.0 will depend on whether he can play the role as asset, good player, and obedient follower or as backbiter vying for influence in an ever-shifting American political landscape. Only time will tell.