INDIANOLA, Iowa – Some Donald Trump supporters said Sunday they would support his 2024 presidential rival Vivek Ramaswamy as a potential candidate, but the president's top adviser largely rejected the idea. .
Trump aide Jason Miller told the Post that voters would “probably” exclude Ramaswamy from being the former president's running mate, given Trump's biggest attack on him the night before. He said it was possible.
In a blistering attack on Truth Social on Saturday, the former president accused Mr. Ramaswamy of “sly” and “deceptive campaign tricks” and not being a MAGA.
“I think it's safe to say it's not Vivek,” Miller said.
In response to a question about President Trump's tirade against Ramaswamy on Saturday, Ramaswamy's campaign pointed the Post to the candidate's subsequent statements. Statement regarding X He said, “I don't criticize.” [Trump] To respond to this slow attack. ”
The biotech mogul has previously said he is not a “Plan B person,” but President Trump said in August that Ramaswamy could be a “very good” vice president.
Asked about the possibility of another Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, being a potential candidate for Trump, Miller said she would let Trump speak about his decision.
Haley declined to formally withdraw her candidacy for the vice president position.
Trump, the clear front-runner in the Republican race, said Wednesday that he had already chosen his No. 2 choice, but added that he had decided not to make an announcement yet.
There are rumors that he is considering choosing Haley, who is second to him, but he has not publicly ruled out that possibility.
Among Iowa voters who attended Trump's event in Indianola on Sunday, the day before the state Republican caucus chose its nominee, many said they would “trust” whomever Trump chooses as their nominee. said the person.
“I pray about it and I trust his judgment,” said a woman named Linda, who declined to give her last name.
“I never know what he's thinking because he always surprises me,” said Dan Heffernan, 64, of Altoona.
Heffernan's wife, Cheryl, 63, said she thought “he's going to do well.”
Other potential Republican candidates include Ramaswamy, media personality Tucker Carlson, 2016 presidential candidate Ben Carson, Daily Wire's Candace Owens, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. Some people mentioned that they did.
Mr. Ramaswamy, who has an affinity for Mr. Trump's policies and is only 38 years old, attracted a lot of attention among the dozens of voters interviewed by the Post.
Paula Smith, 54, who lives in Waruk, said of Ramaswamy: “He is young and full of life.” “I don't think there are any better options.”
Some Iowa voters said they want President Trump's running mate to be a political outsider, a woman or a minority.
“I want to meet Kristi Noem,” said Dennis Nelson, 71, of Norwalk. “She's a very stable woman and a very stable governor.”
Jesse Stambaugh, 44, of Des Moines, is unsure who to choose as President Trump's running mate, but points out that former Vice President Mike Pence was ultimately not loyal to Trump. , he took a firm stance that he would always be loyal to the selection of people.
“I think Mr. Trump is loyal to the country and his voters. So being loyal to Trump is the default to being loyal to the Constitution,” he said.
Brad Boustead, a volunteer with Trump's caucus, said he hopes the vice president doesn't become governor.
“If he gathered all the good governors and sent them to Washington, D.C., the states would be a little less armed to protect themselves from the federal government,” Boustead said, adding that Iowa's Gov. Kim Reynolds suggested it could be a good choice. But he says she should stay on as governor.
Another Iowa voter said she was excited about Haley becoming vice president, although she didn't want to admit it.
“I hate to say it, but Nikki Haley. I think she has a lot of votes and if she can get them, she could potentially get even more votes,” said a Trump supporter on condition of anonymity. Told.
Other voters showed little interest in Ms. Haley, but Ms. Haley has drawn backlash from some Trump supporters, including her son, Donald Trump Jr.
Jill Lowell, 60, pretended to throw up when asked about her chances of getting tickets for Haley.
“I would love to see Kali Lake as vice president,” she said, referring to the Arizona Senate candidate.
Another woman, Gail Kirst, 73, from Des Moines, told the Post that she plans to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican presidential candidate and Trump's leading candidate, but that that is unlikely. Ta.
“I would love to meet DeSantis, but I think there is something going on between them,” she said of the two political opponents.
She maintained that Mr. Ramaswamy would also be a good choice.
Additional reporting by Ryan King
