republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy asserted He and former President Donald Trump are the only two candidates who advocate an America First policy.
At a town hall in Marengo, Iowa, on Saturday, the 38-year-old entrepreneur said he and Trump are the only two “America First” candidates on the Republican ballot.
“I think there are two America First candidates in this race,” Ramaswamy said. “That’s Donald Trump and me.”
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Vivek Ramaswamy, chairman and co-founder of Strive Asset Management and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, Wednesday, January 3, 2024. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The moment came after Mr. Ramaswamy told supporters in the crowd that it was time to “speak up” and asked participants to raise their hands whether they intended to vote for Mr. Ramaswamy or for Mr. Trump.
“How many people are inclined to support me now?” asked Ramaswamy. “That's quite a number.”
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks at the Run Generation Z gathering at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 6, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Ramaswamy then asked the audience who planned to vote for Trump in the Iowa presidential caucuses on January 15th.
“How many of you are thinking of having Donald Trump in your caucus?” Ramaswamy asked. “Okay. Well, thank you. I think he has two 'American First' candidates in this election, so I get that.”
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Mr. Ramaswamy, who has campaigned under the slogan of “America First 2.0,” is aligned with President Trump's America First policy, which is centered on reducing the U.S. trade deficit and rebalancing the burden of U.S. responsibilities to international trade organizations. ing.
Republican presidential candidate speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
2024 in just one week iowa caucus The first vote will be taken for the next presidential candidate.
The Iowa caucuses, the first state to vote for presidential candidates, set the stage for the entire primary season. A win or strong performance in Iowa can create important momentum for a candidate and influence voters' perceptions of a candidate's viability.
Last week, Ramaswamy received the support of former Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King in a post on X.
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Republican Party Chairman Steve Godu of Salem, New Hampshire, also endorsed Ramaswamy last year, along with former New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Kevin Smith.
FOX News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
