Vivek Ramaswamy speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest.
Courtesy | Wikimedia Commons
The first Republican presidential primary debate showed that former. President Donald Trump and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy have more in common than meets the eye.
Ramaswamy and Trump have similar outlooks on policy, agreement on the need for structural changes within the GOP, and hold populist attitudes. All these have made Ramaswamy recognizable as the former president’s stand-in.
Americans should seriously consider Ramaswamy’s proposed referendum for aggressive political action, which is similar to the one Trump initiated during his first campaign. But that doesn’t mean that the reasonable challenges posed against their shared vision by veterans of Republican politics ought to be ignored. Consensus is almost always necessary when a movement attempts to evolve.
While all eight candidates at the debate attributed America’s problems to the failings of the Biden administration and progressives in government, it’s clear the party remains torn by the same crises as faced former President Donald Trump during his rise to his 2016 nomination.
Ramaswamy’s central placement on the debate stage was fitting given his constant clashes with the other candidates. He captivated the audience with fiery rhetoric, announcing early on that the only war he’d declare as president would be a “war on the administrative state.” He also described the rest of the field’s remarks as “pre-prepared slogans.” Through statements like these, Ramaswamy aimed to contrast his plan for revolutionary change with the failed establishment’s tendency toward “incremental reform.”
Ramaswamy’s positions fit his revolutionary vision well, with most of them being extreme compared to the party establishment’s stances. When asked his position on the matter of U.S financial support for Ukraine, Ramaswamy swiftly stated that he “would not support it,” while other contenders gave more nuanced responses. His opinion on climate change is similarly strong: in his view, “the climate change agenda is a hoax.”
As is the case with Trump’s rhetorical choices during his own time as a primary candidate, Ramaswamy’s phrasing invited plenty of conflict with others on the stage. Most of the candidates caught in Ramaswamy’s crosshairs during the debate fought back aggressively — including former Vice President Mike Pence. Pence touted his record as a proven conservative, especially in the realm of pro-life advocacy, throughout the debate. He argued that the party ought not to “bring in a rookie [like Ramaswamy]” in the political fight against Joe Biden.
Others on the stage voiced similar positions, especially strongly pro-life ones, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who noted his signing of the “Heartbeat Bill” recently enacted in the state. Ramaswamy remained silent during the abortion discussion, making it one of the only discussions during which he failed to lead the pack.
One of the unique problems facing the Republican party during this election cycle is the possibility of Trump’s conviction. When the candidates were asked whether they’d support Trump as nominee if he were convicted on any one of those charges, Ramaswamy was the first to raise his hand.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s successful night at the debate and strong performance in this primary has almost entirely been at the Republican establishment’s expense, with his popularity largely bolstering the strength of the movement started by Trump’s original campaign. The fact that such a large segment of the GOP stands in opposition to that movement, though, is evidence that the party has yet to mend the gap between the Trump-aligned base and the old guard. and if it fails to come to terms with that truth, it may be incapable of choosing a champion with an innovative vision for the nation and the popular appeal necessary to unite both party and country.
Jackson Casey is a freshman studying the liberal arts.
