Indian-American journalist Fareed Zakaria called Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy “smart”, saying he has figured out what the base of the Republican Party is.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Zakaria shared his thoughts on the 2024 US Presidential elections, Donald Trump’s chances of winning them, and more.
He called Vivek Ramaswamy “smart and shrewd”, saying he has understood how the Republican party works. “He has figured out what sort of DNA of the Republican Party is: anti-establishment, anti-elitist, a highly suspicious view that sees the government as fundamentally corrupt, broken and floats conspiracy theories,” Zakaria said.
Zakaria said he doubts Ramaswamy’s ideas come from core convictions, but they can be effective. “Trump is the real thing. Everybody else, including Vivek, are plain, plain, plain carbon copies,” he said.
“My own sense is that he’s really biding his time and setting himself up. I doubt very much that Trump would choose him as a vice president. I may be wrong, I think so,” Zakaria added.
Notably, Donald Trump called Ramaswamy a “smart, young guy” after he was asked whether he was considering a “Vice-President Ramaswamy”.
Vivek Ramaswamy garnered attention after his maiden Republican presidential primary debate, held on August 23. He is an Indian-American presidential contender from the Republican Party.
When asked if Ramaswamy could be the first Indian-American US President a few years from now, Zakaria said, “It’s possible. It’s certainly possible. However, Trump’s biggest problem right now is with women, particularly college-educated women. So, I would advise him to choose Nikki Haley as his running mate, because that helps him with that crucial demographic.”
“The rational thing for him to do is try to affect that small number of working women in Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Vivek doesn’t get him anything with those, whereas Nikki Haley does,” Zakaria said.
He called Vivek “as part of the elite as anybody”. “He has managed to present himself as a tribune of the white working class, which is partly Trump’s genius,” Zakaria said.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is another Republican candidate vying to become US President in 2024.
Talking about Donald Trump’s possibility of winning the upcoming US Presidential polls, Fareed Zakaria said, “Donald Trump is just too strong to be denied. There are two possibilities: Either Trump will win the presidency, which will have its own complications and crisis, or he will claim that he won the elections. There is no other alternative,” Zakaria said.
He also termed Trump’s possible reign as a “revenge presidency”, saying he won’t accept the results if he loses. “People are hoping for some change in his man, which is not likely to happen. So, America might be heading towards a political crisis,” the Indian-American author said.
