Trump calls Vivek Ramaswamy "a smart guy" as VP speculation grows
While most polls suggest former President Donald Trump is on track to win the GOP's primary race, the question of who he might choose as his running mate has gotten less attention.
However, the former president recently dropped a hint following last week's Republican debate in Milwaukee.
"He’s got a lot of talent"
According to The Hill, Trump phoned into Glenn Beck's Blaze TV show on Tuesday and offered words of praise for businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
"Well, I think he’s great. Look, anybody that said I’m the best president in a generation … I have to like a guy like that," Trump told Beck.
"He’s a smart guy. He’s a young guy. He’s got a lot of talent. He’s a very, very, very intelligent person," the GOP frontrunner continued.
Trump on Vivek for VP — I think He’s Great 👀
Trump said he’d be watching the debate for a VP & if he would pick Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Well, I think he’s great… look anybody that says I’m the best president in a generation…> I have to like a guy like that, you know, I can’t get… pic.twitter.com/0RvD2mSkCM
— UltraMJTruth (@MJTruthUltra) August 29, 2023
Poll put Ramaswamy in third place behind Trump and DeSantis
"He’s got good energy, and he could be in some form of something. I tell ya, I think he’d be very good. I think he’s really distinguished himself," Trump went on to add.
A Morning Consult poll conducted between August 25 and August 27 found Ramaswamy was supported by 10% of likely Republican primary voters.
That put him in third place, behind Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had 14%, and Trump himself, who was at 58%. Meanwhile, no other candidate reached double digits.
NEW: Tracking the 2024 GOP Primary:
Trump: 58%
DeSantis: 14%
Ramaswamy: 10%
Pence: 6%
Haley: 5%
Christie: 3%
Scott: 2%
Hutchinson: 1%
Burgum: 0%
Suarez: 0%
Hurd: 0%
Someone Else: 1%
*Aug 25-2, 2023View more: https://t.co/zpObC29kvJ pic.twitter.com/Rz5LO4iKy6
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) August 29, 2023
Poll: 72% of primary voters thought Ramaswamy did well in debate
Meanwhile, another Morning Consult poll found that 72% of primary voters who watched the debate felt Ramaswamy did either "very" or "somewhat" well.
That put the candidate seven points ahead of DeSantis and eight points over former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
More than 7 in 10 potential primary voters who tuned into the Aug. 23 GOP debate broadcast said Ramaswamy performed “very” or “somewhat” well — higher than the 65% who said the same of DeSantis or the 64% who said the same of Nikki Haley. https://t.co/y8DbvBmek3 pic.twitter.com/DoEZ8h7m1O
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) August 29, 2023
While both Trump supporters and GOP primary voters over all similar views regarding how Ramaswamy and DeSantis performed, Haley did better among the former group than the latter.