Vivek Ramaswamy won’t be Trump’s running mate, says aide

Washington, January 15

Donald Trump’s top adviser has ruled out Vivek Ramaswamy as the ex-US President’s running mate after the Republican frontrunner publicly criticised the Indian-American presidential candidate ahead of the Iowa caucus. The Iowa caucuses, which begin on Monday, formally kick off the beginning of the long process by which the Republicans and Democrats choose their nominees for the presidential election on November 5.

Trump’s top adviser Jason Miller told the New York Post that voters could “probably” rule out 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur Ramaswamy as the ex-President’s running mate. “Pretty safe to say it won’t be Vivek,” Miller was quoted as saying in the report.

On Saturday, Trump, 77, lashed out at Ramaswamy, who is most closely aligned with him in the race for the Republican nomination, accusing him of “deceitful campaign tricks”. The ex-President’s criticism stemmed from shirts that Ramaswamy’s campaign is handing out that say ‘Save Trump, Vote Vivek’ on them.

“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, the best President in generations, etc. Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “Very sly, but a vote for Vivek is a vote for the other side — don’t get duped by this. Vote for TRUMP, don’t waste your vote! Vivek is not MAGA,” he added.

The criticism marks the first time Trump and his team have made direct, public attacks against Ramaswamy.

Until now, Trump has largely avoided criticising Ramaswamy due to his strong praise and defence of the former President. — PTI

Don’t want to be VP, asserts Nikki Haley

Indian-American senior Republican Party leader Nikki Haley, the lone woman in the party’s presidential race, has said she is not interested in being the vice-president (VP), asserting that she’s running to be the next US President and is contending to win.