Trump thinks Vivek Ramaswamy would make a 'very good' vice-president

Former US President Donald Trump, who is running for the presidency in 2024, is all praise for his Indian-American rival Vivek Ramaswamy, stating that he would make a "very good" vice president.

The statement from Trump came during a television interview where he heaped praise on Ramaswamy.

"He [Vivek Ramaswamy] is a smart guy. He's a young guy. He's got a lot of talent. He's a very, very, very intelligent person. He's got good energy, and he could be in some form of something. I tell ya, I think he'd be very good. I think he's really distinguished himself," said Trump.

"I hold him in high regard. You know, anyone who acknowledges me as the best president in a generation ... well, I have an affinity for someone like that," Trump added.

The endorsement from Trump came a week after Ramaswamy deemed him the "best president of the 21st century" during the Republican debate. He even said that he would grant a presidential pardon to Trump adding that the indictments against Trump "set an awful precedent" in the country.

The former president also had a word of caution for Ramaswamy as he asked him to "be a little careful" and not attract controversy. "He's starting to get out there a little bit. He's a little bit — getting a little bit controversial. I'd tell him be a little bit careful. Some things you have to hold in just a little bit, right?" Trump said.

However, Ramaswamy was not always a great admirer of Trump. In his book titled "Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence," he slammed Trump for refusing to accept the 2020 election results.

He even called him a loser, stating that it "was a dark day for democracy." The Indian-American businessman has managed to draw a lot of attention, and Trump's endorsement might just boost his popularity.

Who is Ramaswamy?

Ramaswamy is the founder of the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical firm Roivant Sciences and wants to unite the US through a new "American revolution." Opinion polls have put the 38-year-old presidential candidate third after Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

He is being seen as the "winner" of the first Republican presidential debate held in Milwaukee held earlier this week. The Republican presidential candidate has often been asked if he would like to serve as Trump's running mate, to which he has always responded negatively.

"I think he (Trump) and I share something in common, which is that neither of us make a very good number two," he said in an interview with Bloomberg News earlier this month.

Ramaswamy's stand on geopolitical issues such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has given him substantial limelight, but he has also come under immense scrutiny.

His suggestion that he would cede parts of Ukraine to Russia in order to bring the war to an end and withdraw US support to Israel has not gone down well with many Americans who see him as Trump 2.0.

He is also a fan of X owner Elon Musk's management style and wants to run America the same way Musk runs his companies. He, in fact, wants to make Musk his adviser if he is elected president in 2024.

"I've enjoyed getting to know better, Elon Musk recently, I expect him to be an interesting adviser of mine because he laid off 75 percent of the employees at Twitter," Ramaswamy was quoted as saying by NBC News. "And then the effectiveness actually went up," he added.

Ramaswamy was referring to Musk's decision to let go of hundreds of Twitter employees after he took over the company last year. Musk fired half of the company's 7,500 employees soon after taking over Twitter in November last year. The move was one of several steps taken by Musk in an attempt to cut costs.

Musk and Ramaswamy have mutual admiration for each other. Last week, Musk said that he found Ramaswamy to be a "very promising candidate." It now remains to be seen if the endorsements from people like Trump and Musk help him get a lead in the polls.