Posted on 01/13/2024 8:46:30 PM PST by chickenlips
Vivek Ramaswamy has been one of the more interesting candidates in the 2024 Republican primary. Once a staunch critic of January 6th and a supporter of COVID-19 surveillance apps, the businessman reinvented himself as a conservative firebrand. More importantly for his popularity, he has run a campaign that has gone out of its way to be supportive of Donald Trump.
Because of that, Ramaswamy has earned the praise of much of the former president's influencer network, including those connected to organizations like TPUSA and CPAC. He's often been cited as the premier example of how to run against Trump (as opposed to Ron DeSantis, at least in their telling). Whether that's because they truly believe that or they just don't see Ramaswamy as a real threat, I'll let others decide.
That honeymoon period has come to an end, though. Trump has decided to speak up on the issue, and he's firmly for tossing Ramaswamy under the bus.
New: President Trump makes a new statement on Vivek Ramaswamy. pic.twitter.com/yjr5SgwqOh
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 13, 2024
Ramaswamy has been overly complimentary and defensive of Trump the entire primary. So much so that some might read that post from the former president and be surprised. I understand exactly why it was posted, though.
Trump knows that Ramaswamy draws from the same voter pool he is counting on to cruise to a win in the primary. At some point, the businessman was going to outlive his usefulness as a quasi-ally. Was this prompted by some internal indication that Iowa might be closer than expected, causing Trump to feel he has to shore things up? That's certainly possible, but whatever the reason, it seems he decided it was time to tell his voters to stop playing footsy with Ramaswamy.
Bigger picture, this was always going to happen. It was just a matter of time. Trump doesn't keep people around past their sell-by date, and Ramaswamy was naive to think he'd ever be able to sidle up beside the former president without receiving some incoming. The businessman flew too close to the sun, and while it was fun while it lasted, he was never going to be allowed to run as the successor to Trump without express written permission from the man himself.
Will Ramaswamy respond to this attack, including the claim he's "not MAGA?" I'd guess almost certainly not. At this juncture, he's not going to be competitive in the primary (he failed to get on the ballot in most states), and he has much more to gain by protecting his relationships with Trump's influencers, who, at least right now, generally approve of him. If anything, we might see him drop out after Iowa so that there's no more conflict of interest on that front. Stay tuned.
Updated [7:45 pm EST, 1/13/24]: This appears to be the post that got under Trump’s skin. Ironically, Ramaswamy was trying to show support for Trump by reiterating his pledge to pardon him:
A group of young men in Iowa came out in the blizzard. They sent a clear message. pic.twitter.com/SrVAeoHPey
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 13, 2024
IIRC Vivek was a Harvard classmate and pal of Kushner’s brother, and Kushner was supposed to have been involved in getting Vivek to run as sort of a Trump stalking horse.
But Vivek started to make the case that “they” wouldn’t allow Trump to be on final ticket—and so people should vote for Vivek instead.
Just another day in the Magadonian three ring dumpster fire. So what else is new? Who knows what bizarro antics from Team Trump will await us tomorrow?
these shirts are so underhanded. nice to know he believes President Trump is guilty. Very glad President Trump spoke up.
Concur.
You’re right
Right G!
Vivek is a manipulator!
I don’t trust VR, he says all the right things.
DJT says all sorts of wrong things but — I don’t have to trust him, he already showed me what kind of POTUS he is. I want another four years of that!
Same here!
Quite possibly so, although Trump garners 10x the respect (and fear, when appropriate) around the world. And Trump is almost certainly quite intelligent himself.
He threw himself under the bus.
I was at the hotel tonight where President Trump spoke and I had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. President Trump’s senior advisors were sitting at one table and then while they were sitting there, @VivekGRamaswamy’s team came inside and was seated right next to Trump’s team with their phones out almost like they were trying to ease drop on Trump’s staffers dinner discussion.
I’m not the only person who witnessed this tonight.
Interesting isn’t it?
Usually Vivek’s team is all smiles and small talk when they see me.
When they saw me tonight they put their hoods on and shuffled out the door.
No small talk tonight! Funny how that works.
Whatever game is being played right now needs to end.
@VivekGRamaswamy is polling at 8% in Iowa and Donald Trump has an overwhelming margin.
If you think you’re going to gaslight the MAGA base into panic voting for Vivek, you’re living in a fantasy world.
You’re either loyal or you’re not. You either support Donald Trump 100% or you don’t.
Make up your mind or get left behind.
- Loomer
these shirts are so underhanded. nice to know he believes President Trump is guilty.
Glad Ratherswampy has outed himself as just another member of the traitors club.
It is interesting seeing a few of the Vivek FR supporters trying to twist out of their swindler’s side pocket.
I was at the hotel tonight where President Trump spoke and I had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. President Trump’s senior advisors were sitting at one table and then while they were sitting there, @VivekGRamaswamy’s team came inside and was seated right next to Trump’s team with their phones out almost like they were trying to ease drop on Trump’s staffers dinner discussion.
I’m not the only person who witnessed this tonight.
Interesting isn’t it?
Usually Vivek’s team is all smiles and small talk when they see me.
When they saw me tonight they put their hoods on and shuffled out the door.
No small talk tonight! Funny how that works.
Whatever game is being played right now needs to end.
@VivekGRamaswamy is polling at 8% in Iowa and Donald Trump has an overwhelming margin.
If you think you’re going to gaslight the MAGA base into panic voting for Vivek, you’re living in a fantasy world.
You’re either loyal or you’re not. You either support Donald Trump 100% or you don’t.
Make up your mind or get left behind.
- Loomer
President Trump will do whatever he wants to do.
People don’t get to attack President Trump and then cry when he strikes back.
President Trump is the leader of the America First movement.
And people better check themselves before they wreck themselves.
- Loomer
I know for a fact your campaign coordinated this stunt you pulled tonight with the t-shirts 2 weeks ago. I also know you're sending a mailer that's telling people Trump can't win, and I also know you're sending people in those shirts to caucus locations on Monday with scripted letters to pass out at the door telling people Trump won't be the nominee because he will be in jail or “taken out”.
You planned all of this out to attack Trump while pretending to be an ally because why else would you send a mailer, and plan for people to wear the shirts you made and organize people to pass out subversive letters at the door of Caucus locations?
Honestly, if you cared about Trump you would drop out and fund his campaign.
Enough is enough. You don't get to use President Trump's movement to build your brand.
You're not a Trump ally. I asked you to drop out on my show live and you said no, because you wanted to inspire younger voters. But it's really looking like you didn't want to drop out because you don't want Trump to win.
What does the letter you have written for Monday say? Why don't you publish it now?
Also, how many of the influencers who are riding around on your bus with you are getting paid by your campaign?
You are being disrespectful to President Trump.
What he said is simply put, " Why vote for Vivek when you can vote for the real thing?" Vuvek wabts us to belive he is Trump lite....but he does not rise even t9o a level of Trumps shoe aces in terms of experience and of record. Ramaswamy needs to hrill, go after a governorship and then see if he is suited for the WH. The MSM wants TRump to have a reputation of casually disposing of his political oponents. NOt true,Trump simply out competes them.
Vivek has tried all along to make this race young vs old. Trump needed to put that idea to rest.
I think months ago there was a danger of a “young vs. old” showdown backfiring against Trump, because let’s face it, Vivek is pretty quick on his feet. If there’s anyone who could match Trump in a battle of quips it would be Vivek.
My bet is Trump was waiting until the right time to put the young whippersnapper in his place. Now is that time, because Trump is beating Biden (the other old man) and looking young doing it.
With Biden’s mental and physical impairment so obvious, and with Trump looking as young and fit as he did 8 years ago, the Democrats don’t want to talk about the issue of old age. Meanwhile, the young whippersnapper has fallen to <1% in the polls - so there’s not going to be any old vs young showdown at this point.
Vivek will take his medicine like a good boy.
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