Unless something drastically changes for Donald Trump, it's pretty much a done deal that he's the Republican candidate going into the general. One of the questions now hanging in the air is who his VP pick will be.
We've already looked at Tulsi Gabbard and Ron DeSantis, but there is another name on his shortlist, and that's Vivek Ramaswamy.
(READ: Hear Me Out...Tulsi Gabbard Would Not Be a Bad VP Pick)
(READ: Would DeSantis Work As Trump's VP?)
Ramaswamy seems to be a polarizing figure within the American right. There are people who love him to the point where they can't see anyone else being Trump's running mate, and then there are those who wouldn't be able to find a decent hair on his head if they had a magnifying glass and 24 free hours.
According to a recent YouGov poll, Ramaswamy as Trump's VP has Republicans split at 52 percent approval. While Trump advisor Jason Miller said that Ramaswamy is not being considered as Trump's potential VP, I'll believe that when I see him select someone. As it stands, too many people are still saying Ramaswamy's name, and Trump isn't above changing his mind because the people spoke up.
So let's say that Ramaswamy is chosen by Trump. What kind of VP could we look forward to and what kind of issues would that bring with it?
The interesting thing about Ramaswamy is that perspective will dictate a lot of how you see him, and while that pretty much applies to anyone or anything, with Ramaswamy it's a bit more complex. For instance, Ramaswamy would be considered a political outsider which, for many Republicans, would just be icing on the cake, especially for those who are fans of Trump's outsider status.
However, many on the right would find this a negative, seeing as how they would want someone who is at least a little more politically inclined in order to fill in Trump's weakness in that regard. In many ways, Ramaswamy is just as liable to spout off abrasive truths as Trump is, though Ramaswamy is a bit more professional about it.
Again, this might please quite a few people, especially those who believe that we need more abrasive truth in our society, but this could worry some who feel there needs to be a bit more finesse to these things.
He's also very much aligned with Trump's perspectives on things, which could create a cohesive unit that charges forward with all the self-assuredness of...well, a Donald Trump. This could have quite a few benefits of its own, as less internal conflict would mean fewer hurdles to jump over and quicker action.
Of course, some see this as Ramaswamy being Trump's "yes man," and a dangerous greasing of wheels that could spin out of control.
But there are pure benefits. For instance, Ramaswamy would be the first millennial to enter office, which means his approach to business and economics will be more geared toward updated perspectives and methods of growth. He has good entrepreneurial skills, and with the upcoming expectation that the next four years will be mostly about repairing a broken economy, Ramaswamy's more modern expertise will be a boon to Trump.
Moreover, in a time when everyone has had it with should-be retirees dominating political offices, and the cognitive and medical "maybes" and "what-ifs" that come with being that elderly, a fresh-faced and youthful Ramaswamy might alleviate some worries.
Likely due to Ramaswamy's millennial mentality, he is also incredibly good at utilizing the internet to get his message across. It's a skill he used during the primary campaign, and it took him from being a nobody to a candidate who ultimately became more popular than DeSantis in some polls. That's a skill that can't be overlooked.
Where Trump is oftentimes weak is his ability to communicate his intentions and plans to people not already geared toward receiving his message anyway, Ramaswamy's ability to talk to the world about what's going on effectively would be a massive help to the Trump administration.
Moreover, Ramaswamy isn't afraid to take on the press directly either. He's one of the candidates who could be found enthusiastically taking on MSNBC and CNN anchors on their own shows and winning debates while shattering narratives. If he continues with that pattern during his time as VP, it would greatly benefit this Trump administration as well as the Republican Party overall.
This, in my opinion, will be Ramaswamy's greatest strength as a VP.
(READ: The Ace Up Vivek Ramaswamy's Sleeve)
But Ramaswamy does have his absolute negatives. He's wildly inexperienced when it comes to political office and his mouth tends to write checks he likely won't be able to cash. For instance, Ramaswamy recently spoke about shutting down the FBI, ATF, DoE, and CDC, and firing 75 percent of the bureaucrats in the federal government. It's a page right out of Javier Milei's book, but not likely something Trump and Ramaswamy can pull off without massive help from a too-often contentious House and Senate.
Ramaswamy: Shut down the FBI, shut down the ATF, shut down the CDC, shut down the Department of Education, fire 75% of the federal bureaucrats… pic.twitter.com/XMA6yzmutn
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 25, 2024
His brashness rubs many the wrong way. They would prefer someone a bit more politically inclined, such as Tim Scott or Kristi Noem. Someone who has the experience and feels, sounds, and behaves a little bit more like a Republican than an outsider would assuage a lot of worries.
Regardless, the same things many people said about Trump before 2016 are some of the things they're saying about Ramaswamy now, and that's not getting past a lot of Republicans, who will hear these things and associate them with positives.
We'll know sooner than later who Trump chooses, and if he chooses Ramaswamy, things will get very, very interesting.
