Indian-origin entrepreneur and US presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy was one of the main stars of the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 US presidential election cycle on August 24 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Former US President Donald Trump skipped the event, with eight Republican candidates facing off for two hours in the debate.
Ramaswamy garnered a lot of attention, particularly for his comments on the Ukraine war, Donald Trump and climate change. The 38-year-old presidential aspirant raised more than $450,000, with an average donation of $38, in the first hour after the debate.
Earlier, in an Emerson College poll, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were tied at second place in the Republican presidential field. The poll showed DeSantis and Ramaswamy tied at 10% each, trailing former President Donald Trump, who led with 56%.
DeSantis, who was in second place, despite registering 21% in June, witnessed a huge fall. On the other hand, Ramaswamy rose to the second spot from only 2% then. Almost half of Ramaswamy supporters said they will definitely vote for him, while only a third of DeSantis supporters said the same, according to the poll findings. Meanwhile, more than 80% of Trump supporters said they will definitely vote for the former president.
