Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur, self-styled conservative firebrand, and long-shot Republican presidential candidate, believes he and Tesla CEO Elon Musk see eye-to-eye on many vital points, reminiscent of free speech.
And this weekend, forward of Iowa’s presidential caucuses on Monday night, Musk’s posts on X recommended not solely his help for Ramaswamy, however a perception that he’ll do much better within the state than polls recommend.
“My guess is that Vivek will far exceed the polls when the votes are counted,” Musk posted, in response to a shared Fox Information video on Ramaswamy’s low ballot numbers versus the help that Iowa Rep. Steven Holt (R-Iowa) mentioned he was seeing.
Musk additionally wrote on Sunday “I feel you’re proper” in response to an X consumer who posted: “I actually consider this Monday @VivekGRamaswamy goes to shock the world. That is going to be a significant win for the nation.”
Musk additionally responded “Sure” when one other consumer requested “Do you belief Vivek Ramaswamy?”
However expectations for Ramaswamy are low. In a current Suffolk College ballot, 54% of 500 doubtless Republican caucus goers chosen former president Donald Trump as their most well-liked candidate, versus 20% for former South Carolina governor Haley, 13% for Floria governor DeSantis, and simply 6% for Ramaswamy.
Holt, nonetheless, mentioned “I don’t consider the polls,” including that a lot of his constituents have advised him that Ramaswamy is usually not introduced as an choice on the surveys. “Iowa has delivered surprises earlier than. We’ll see what occurs,” he advised Fox.
Ramaswamy has repeatedly defended Trump all through his presidential run, and has mentioned that he’ll pardon him if elected. His plan appears to relaxation on Trump turning into ineligible to run resulting from his numerous authorized difficulties, at which level Ramaswamy hopes to inherit his base.
Ramaswamy posted a photograph of himself to X on Saturday with six followers carrying a shirt from his marketing campaign studying “Save Trump, Vote Vivek.” These shirts appeared to have irked the Trump facet.
Trump’s senior marketing campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, responded to the submit by calling Ramaswamy the marketing campaign’s “primary fraud,” including that “Trump doesn’t want ‘saving.’”
And Trump, who had avoided attacking Ramaswamy, let unfastened in a Fact Social submit, writing that “Vivek will not be MAGA.”
Ramaswamy responded to Trump’s submit by writing on X: “It’s an unlucky transfer by his marketing campaign advisors…I’m not going to criticize him in response to this late assault.”
In the meantime, Musk, who in August backed Ramaswamy turning into vp, famous that the GOP candidate appeared to have held extra conferences with Iowans than his rivals.
“The ability of an excessive work ethic,” he wrote, “is often underestimated.”
