WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has received a big shout-out from Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO. “He is a very promising candidate,” Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, after watching Ramaswamy’s video interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson. He also reposted a snippet of the interview on X. In the 45-minute interview, Ramaswamy, the youngest Republican presidential contender at 37, spoke about the “void” he is trying to fill in American politics.
Ramaswamy also argued that the US is at a point where the “government and the broader establishment believe that the citizens of the nation cannot be trusted with the truth.”
Praising the candidate after the interview, Carlson, the former Fox News primetime host said that the Republican hopeful is “one of the best-versed voices in policy” he has spoken with. “ Vivek Ramaswamy is the youngest Republican presidential candidate ever. He’s worth listening to,” Carlson wrote.
The Musk endorsement was considered intriguing given the history between Musk and Ramaswamy. A few months ago, the Republican leader had castigated Musk’s interactions with Chinese leaders during a trip to China.
Musk, who had met China’s Foreign Minister and announced plans to expand his business in the country, drew criticism from Ramaswamy, who accused China of manipulating prominent American business leaders to advance its agenda. “It’s deeply concerning that Elon Musk met with China’s foreign minister…,” Ramaswamy then wrote.
Ramaswamy, dubbed by the New Yorker magazine as the “CEO of Anti-Woke Inc,” is one of three Indian American Republican candidates with Nikki Haley and Hirsh Vardhan Singh setting their sights on the 2024 White House race. Ramaswamy was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and hails from a family of Indian immigrants. His father is an engineer at General Electric and his mother a geriatric psychiatrist.
A self-proclaimed “capitalist and citizen,” Ramaswamy’s studied at Harvard and Yale universities and reportedly has a net worth exceeding $500 million.
The biotech entrepreneur has emerged as a breakout candidate in the Republican primaries as he challenges former US President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a Republican nomination.
Notably, Ramaswamy, who wears his Hindu faith on his sleeve, has managed to carve a distinct niche in a party traditionally dominated by evangelical Christians. His campaign message emphasizes the alignment of his Hindu values with the Judeo-Christian foundation of the United States.
Ramaswamy has risen in Republican primary polls according to RealClearPolitics, placing third behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 6.4% percent support.