Who is Vivek Ramaswamy? What to know about the youngest major Republican candidate in history
“This is our moment to start running to something, to our vision of what it means to be an American today,” Vivek Ramaswamy says.
He’s addressing the first TV debate of the 2024 presidential election.
The 38-year-old business investor is the youngest major Republican candidate in history – and he has no political experience.
He thinks Trump is “the best president of the 21st century” and – if he wins – has vowed to pardon him if he is convicted of federal crimes.
His “anti-woke” agenda focuses on recapturing the American dream from a country “lost” to “reverse racism”, “climatism”, “Covidism” and “gender ideology”.
Let’s take a closer look at who he is…
What matters to him?
Ramaswamy is a political novice. He considered running to be a senator in his native Ohio in 2022 but decided against it.
He announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican nomination in February on Tucker Carlson Tonight. The right-wing, anti-immigrant, Trump-supporting commentator had his regular Fox News show cancelled in April with little explanation.
Although he is an avid Trump supporter himself, having appeared outside the courthouse for two of the three cases lodged against the former president so far, Ramaswamy has set about presenting himself as his successor.
He says he is prepared to go further than Mr Trump on several issues.
Outside the courthouse in Florida when Donald Trump was arraigned
Instead of just building a wall along the US-Mexico border, for example, he said he would station soldiers at half-mile intervals along it.
He has promised to abolish the FBI, redeploying staff to what he believes are more effective agencies such as the US Marshals Service, so they can focus on issues like child sex trafficking.
In a huge departure from Western sentiment on Ukraine, he has said he would support a deal allowing Russia to retain what territory it has.
The Republican hopeful is soon to release a “comprehensive foreign policy vision” on Russia, China, Taiwan, India and other parts of Asia.
He has also drawn controversy for some of his comments, such as suggesting that federal agents may have been on planes involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
What has he said?
Ramaswamy has published two books – Woke Inc and Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence.
In them he compares the “woke left” to “psychological slavery”, claiming that like a “new secular religion” it “says your gender, race and sexual orientation determines who you are and what you can achieve in life”.
“America is a systemically racist nation. That if you’re black you’re inherently disadvantaged. That if you’re white you’re inherently privileged,” he adds.
By contrast, he says America has become a place “full of victims” where “faith, patriotism and hard work have disappeared”.
His campaign, he says will mean “a new movement to create a new American dream”.
When he launched it on Instagram, he said: “We’ve celebrated our ‘diversity’ so much that we forgot all the ways we’re really the same as Americans, bound by ideals that united a divided, headstrong group of people 250 years ago.
“I believe deep in my bones those ideals still exist. I’m running for president to revive them.”
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What is his story and what is his net worth?
Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1985.
His parents are from Kerala, southern India. His father worked as an engineer and patent lawyer and his mother as a geriatric psychiatrist.
Although the family are Hindu, he attended Catholic school and credits his conservative Christian piano teacher there with informing many of his social views.
Having achieved top grades he studied biology at Harvard before attending Yale Law School.
While he was still studying he co-founded StudentBusinesses.com that connected entrepreneurs to professional resources on the internet.
After graduating in 2007 he co-founded a similar venture called Campus Venture Network to help university students start their own businesses.
Ramaswamy with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in August
During the early years of career he worked in hedge funds, largely within biotech.
In 2014 he set up his own firm Roivant Sciences with the main aim of buying up drug patents that have been abandoned by the pharmaceutical industry.
A year later he pulled off one of the biggest IPOs (initial public offering) in the sector’s history when he listed shares of its subsidiary company Axovant, which had previously bought the patent to an Alzheimer’s drug from GlaxoSmithKline.
Despite having earned $315m (£248m) from the IPO – eventually the drug failed testing – an experience he has since said was “humiliating”.
He stepped down as chief executive of Roivant in 2021, remaining chairman until this year but still retaining a 7% share in the company.
Last year he co-founded a new investment firm, Strive Asset Management.
It has been popular with right-wing backers and prides itself on being opposed to environment, societal and corporate governance (ESG). The system, increasingly adopted by top firms, encourages them to make responsible investment decisions for good causes.
Now he claims to have widespread support from young voters and new donors. He says around 40% of his 700,000 financial backers have offered small contributions and are donating to a political candidate for the first time.
Forbes reported his net worth at $630m (£495m) and so far he has spent $15m (£11.8m) of it on his campaign.
How was his first debate?
James Matthews, Sky News’ US correspondent, gave his view after the businessman’s presidential debate debut…
If they didn’t know Vivek Ramaswamy before, they do now.
In the first Republican candidates’ debate, he brought a stage presence and ease of performance that carved himself a central role.
The business entrepreneur railed against the political establishment, Trump-style. He denigrated his debate rivals, Trump-style. And he took the headlines, Trump-style.
His was the punchy routine of the optimistic ‘let’s get rich’ guy landing amongst stage rivals furrowed over problems needing dealt with first.
He was the star-quality candidate the others had to shut down and that created a debate dynamic that, for Ramaswamy, delivered due prominence.
There will be time to work through his inexperience and politics behind the slogans.
What he got from a stage in Milwaukee was a recognition he didn’t have before – it can take a man a long way in American politics.
If it doesn’t take him as far as the front-runner, what then?
There was a lot of talk about the Republican debate being an audition to be Donald Trump’s running mate.
It’s a question for another day but, on debate day, he didn’t have a bigger mate on stage than Vivek Ramaswamy.
US
Trump issues Gaza ceasefire ultimatum to Hamas as he warns ‘all hell is going to break out’ if hostages not returned
Donald Trump says the Gaza ceasefire should be cancelled if all remaining Israeli hostages are not returned by noon on Saturday – as he warned Hamas that “all hell is going to break out”.
The US president’s intervention came hours after Hamas has said it will delay the release of more hostages and accused Israel of violating their ceasefire deal.
While signing a series of new executive orders, Mr Trump said he feared many Israeli hostages scheduled for release are already dead.
Referring to his Saturday deadline for the release of hostages, Mr Trump said: “If they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.”
He acknowledged that a decision to end the ceasefire was up to Israel, adding: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”
Hours earlier, Mr Trump said Palestinians would not have the right to return under his plan for US “ownership” of Gaza – contradicting officials in his administration who said they would be relocated temporarily.
Trump latest: ‘Palestinians will have no right to Gaza return’
Widespread destruction seen in Gaza City. Pic: AP
Hamas halts release of hostages
Earlier on Monday, Hamas claimed ceasefire violations had included “delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, and targeting them with shelling and gunfire”.
Spokesman Abu Obeida said Hamas remained committed if Israel kept to the terms, but that the 15 February handover was postponed “until the occupation commits to and compensates for the past weeks”.
Egyptian security sources told Reuters that mediators now fear the deal will break down.
They said Hamas believes Israel isn’t serious about the ceasefire – which began on 19 January.
The last hostage release took place at the weekend and saw three Israeli men set free. Five Thai citizens released last month were also finally reunited with their families in Bangkok.
They were among about 250 people taken during the 7 October 2023 attack, when 1,200 people were murdered.
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Tears as Thai hostages return home
Five swaps have taken place so far, with 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners released.
Saturday’s exchange was due to involve three more Israelis and hundreds of Palestinians.
Defence minister Israel Katz said any delay in releasing hostages would be “a complete violation” and he had instructed troops to be on highest alert.
The Hostages and Missing Family Forum called on mediating countries to restore the deal, saying “time is of the essence” and citing “the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday”.
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As part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back from a key passage through Gaza on Sunday.
The four-mile-long Netzarim corridor separates northern Gaza from the south, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have now crossed back over.
However, Israel pushed back the withdrawal by a few days in protest at the chaotic release of hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses.
This may be what Hamas is referencing what it talks of “delaying the return of the displaced”.
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Palestinians return to destroyed Netzarim
There have also been examples of Israeli troops shooting at or near Palestinians approaching Israeli forces after being warned to stay back.
So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.
Israel has previously said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas’s military and political capabilities are eliminated.
Hamas has countered that it will not hand over the final hostages until Israel removes all its troops from Gaza.
Donald Trump has signed two proclamations imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the US.
A proclamation is a form of presidential directive to government officials, but they do not carry the force of law, as an executive order would.
However the White House has said the tariffs will take effect from 4 March.
“This is a big deal,” Mr Trump said in the Oval Office as he announced the tariffs. “The beginning of making America rich again.”
He added: “We were being pummelled by both friend and foe alike.”
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‘We were being pummelled by both friend and foe alike,’ said the US president
The proclamations mean the president has now removed the exceptions and exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on steel to allow for all imports of the metal to be taxed at 25%.
The new tariff on aluminium is also much higher than the 10% duty he imposed on the material in his first term.
The tariffs are part of an aggressive push by Mr Trump to reset global trade, as he claims that price hikes on the people and companies buying foreign-made products will ultimately strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Outside economic analyses suggest the tariffs would increase costs for the factories that use steel and aluminium, possibly leaving US manufacturers worse off.
Canada, the largest source of steel imports to the US, criticised the move.
Candace Laing, CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said Mr Trump was destabilising the global economy.
“Today’s news makes it clear that perpetual uncertainty is here to stay,” she said.
Hard to see how tariffs won’t be inflationary
At least part of the idea behind tariffs is to bring some production back to the US, but imposing them will have consequences.
What kinds of consequences? Well, at its simplest, tariffs push up prices. This is, when you think about it, blindingly obvious.
A tariff is a tax on a good entering the country.
So if aluminium and steel are going up in price then that means, all else equal, that the cost of making everything from aircraft wings to steel rivets also goes up.
That in turn means consumers end up paying the price – and if a company can’t make ends meet in the face of these tariffs, it means job losses – possibly within the very industrial sectors the president wants to protect.
So says the economic theory. But in practice, economics isn’t everything.
There are countless examples throughout history of countries defying economic logic in search of other goals.
Perhaps they want to improve their national self-reliance in a given product; perhaps they want to ensure certain jobs in cherished areas or industries are protected.
But nothing comes for free, and even if Donald Trump’s tariffs succeed in persuading domestic producers to smelt more aluminium or steel, such things don’t happen overnight.
In the short run, it’s hard to see how these tariffs wouldn’t be significantly inflationary.
Trump’s war of tariffs
Mr Trump’s proclamations come days after the US imposed a 10% tariff on all goods imported from China.
In return, China imposed 10% tariffs on American crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks.
There will also be 15% tariffs on coal and liquefied natural gas from the US.
US plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada were paused after agreements were reached on border security.
Mexico’s president said she was sending 10,000 National Guard troops to the US border immediately in return for a tariff delay.
Mr Trump said the Mexican soldiers would be “specifically designated” to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US, as well as illegal migrants.
Meanwhile, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said almost 10,000 frontline personnel “are and will be working on protecting the border”.
He added that his country was appointing a “fentanyl czar”, drug cartels would be listed as terrorists, and there would be “24/7 eyes on the border”.
Donald Trump has said Palestinians would have no right to return to Gaza under his proposal to relocate its population and rebuild the Strip.
The president last week debuted his suggestion to “own” Gaza and shut out Hamas while it’s redeveloped, but has now contradicted officials who had said any relocation would be temporary.
Asked by Fox News if Palestinians could return, he replied: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”
Trump latest: President signs more executive orders
Speaking on Monday at the White House, Mr Trump also suggested the current ceasefire in Gaza should end on Saturday if Hamas does not release hostages as planned.
He then went further, saying all the remaining hostages should be released by midday on Saturday, or the ceasefire should be cancelled – and that “all hell is going to break out” if the hostages are not freed then.
But the US president added: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”
Hamas said earlier it would delay the release of hostages – accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.
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‘I would own this’ – Trump on Gaza
Mr Trump told Fox News his future vision for Gaza was to build multiple “safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is”, adding the area is currently “not habitable”.
He said he believed he could cut a deal with Jordan or Egypt to take people in.
However, Arab allies – including Egypt and Saudi Arabia – have dismissed the idea of relocating Gaza’s two-million-plus population.
Western countries have also rejected the proposal; an independent state for Palestinians remains the favoured way forward but is a no-go for the Israeli government.
When asked in the media, Palestinians have also rubbished the idea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Mr Trump’s controversial proposal.
Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters
Much of Gaza lies in ruins due to Israel‘s attempt to wipe out Hamas after its 2023 terror attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel.
About 250 were also kidnapped, but those still alive have started to be released in recent weeks after a hard-won truce took effect last month.
Since the ceasefire began on 19 January, five swaps have taken place – with 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages released.
In total, Israel has said it will release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners in return for 33 Israeli hostages during the deal’s first phase.
Read more:
Trump plan so outrageous it might be part of something bigger
Israeli police confiscate books in raid on Palestinian bookshops
So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.
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