Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is campaigning as a real underdog in the Republican presidential race as he tries to stand out from some higher-profile names in the crowded race for the White House.
Recent national polls have shown Ramaswamy, who has built a national brand as an “anti-woke” crusader, polling in the single digits while former President Trump leads the Republican field by a wide margin.
But the 37-year-old believes his unusual candor will help him to create a path in the 2024 cycle, just as Trump did in 2016.
Ramaswamy noted in an interview with The Hill that it was only possible to be an outsider once, suggesting he was an outsider in this race.
He added that he believes his closer to 2015 Trump now than Trump is to 2015 Trump.
Ramaswamy launched his presidential campaign in February after building a reputation as the author of “Woke, Inc.” and founder of biotechnology company Roivant Sciences.
Although he is the son of Indian immigrants, his campaign largely avoided identity politics, instead placing cultural issues at the center of his campaign.
Ramaswamy believes his unconventional candidacy, which he describes as based on “speaking truth,” will resonate with voters despite his generally low profile.
However, longtime Trump adviser David Urban said that while it is a fact that Ramaswamy is the only major Republican candidate in the race who is currently a political outsider, it would be difficult for the newcomer to recapture the uniqueness of Trump’s 2016 campaign.
“Doing it again doesn’t mean you’re the new guy,” Urban explained, suggesting it only meant Ramaswamy was “copying the old guy.”
