Wednesday’s debate comes at a key moment for businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Hardly a household name when he launched his bid (he barely registered in early polls weeks after he jumped into the race), Ramaswamy will now stand at center stage with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the party’s first debate as the second-highest polling candidate in the race.
Wednesday night will give the Ohio businessman his highest-profile shot yet to keep the momentum going. But his position on the stage, and in the race (as one of the candidates more vocally defending former President Donald Trump, who declined to participate in the debate), likely means that his rivals will be looking to take him down a peg.
For clues on where they might start, look to the headlines.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley started the week by blasting Ramaswamy for recent comments he made about Israel. Ramaswamy said on a podcast earlier this month that there’s “there’s no North-Star commitment to one country other than the United States of America.” He added that while wants to abide by commitments the U.S. has already made to Israel, the goal should be to build Israel up so that come 2028, “additional aid won’t be necessary.” Haley took issue with those comments, issuing a statement to criticize Ramaswamy.
And yesterday, Ramaswamy and his campaign were playing defense after he was quoted in an interview with The Atlantic saying it’s “legitimate” to ask “how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers.” He added that while he believes the answer is zero, that a “comprehensive assessment” of what happened on 9/11 would answer that question, comments he made while discussing questions he had about the motivations of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
While Ramaswamy and his campaign have accused The Atlantic of taking him out of context, the outlet responded by releasing a more-than four-minute audio recording of the interview quoted in the story showing he was quoted accurately.
Haley’s criticism could resurface on the debate stage tonight, as could an attack on Ramaswamy citing his comments about 9/11. How he handles those issues, at center-stage, could prove pivotal for his candidacy.
In other campaign news …
DeSantis on defense: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his comments suggesting some Trump followers are “listless vessels,” telling Fox News that he was referring to members of Congress who have called him “a Republican in Name Only,” saying “they’re putting entertainment and personality over principle.”
Trade talk: Trump has been considering proposing a universal tariff, and discussed the policy at a recent dinner with his economic advisers, per the Washington Post. But the Post reports, “Economists of both parties said Trump’s tariff proposal is extremely dangerous.”
Livin’ on a prayer: The Associated Press delves into former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and GOP Sen. Tim Scott’s religious roots in South Carolina, and whether the two candidates of color can appeal to their party’s white evangelical base.
Getting to the debate: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s last-minute donor boost was helped along by his super PAC, which paid college students $20 for each donor they recruited who gave $1 to Hutchinson’s campaign, Politico reports.
Taking a side: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is endorsing Trump, per Politico, becoming the third GOP governor to back the former president.
