Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has experienced a surge in popularity following his "impressive" performance at the first Republican presidential primary debate. Ramaswamy's online fundraising also saw a significant increase, with over $450,000 raised within the first hour of the August 23 debate, with an average donation of $38
Indian-American presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy's popularity surges after GOP debate. Photo/AFP
Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has experienced a surge in popularity following his "impressive" performance at the first Republican presidential primary debate. Ramaswamy's online fundraising also saw a significant increase, with over $450,000 raised within the first hour of the August 23 debate, with an average donation of $38, PTI reported.
Ramaswamy faced criticism from opponents within the debate. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie likened Ramaswamy's performance to that of ChatGPT, while former Vice President Mike Pence labelled him a "rookie" and said that the country does not need a novice to be at the helm of America's affairs. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley accused Ramaswamy of supporting the Russo-Ukraine war.
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According to the PTI report, the first poll after the debate stated that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents accorded Ramaswamy's performance the best. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed with 27 per cent and Pence stood third with 13 per cent. Indian-American Haley received the vote of seven per cent.
Ramaswamy was seen as the driving force of the GOP debate in former president Donald Trump's absence. Media reports stated that he was the most Google-searched candidate followed by fellow Indian-American Nikki Haley. The reports stated that his war of words with Christie, Pence and Haley helped him grab eyeballs.
Post-debate comments from Ramaswamy to the media reflected a sense of confidence. He told reporters that soon, only two candidates will be in the fray – him and Donald Trump. He touted himself as the "clear winner" of the night and said that the race was just getting started.
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"Pretty soon it'll be down to a two-horse race between Trump and myself," Ramaswamy told reporters.
Ramaswamy was notably the most Google-searched candidate during the debate, with media reports suggesting that his confrontations with Christie, Pence, and Haley garnered significant attention.
Ramaswamy is a second-generation Indian-American who founded Roivant Sciences in 2014 which has led the largest biotech IPOs of 2015 and 2016 before culminating in successful clinical trials in multiple disease areas that led to FDA-approved products, according to his bio.
The biotech investor's net worth was over $1 billion a week ago making him one of the 20 youngest billionaires in America. However, he appears to be the second-wealthiest person competing in the Republican presidential primary behind Trump whose net worth was last pegged at $2.5 billion. (Agencies)
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