Trump’s bitterest primary rival, Ron DeSantis, also is expected to speak at the convention, although second-place primary finisher Nikki Haley will not.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy remains in the spotlight after his headline-inducing campaign flamed out six months ago.
Ramaswamy, 38, an author and businessman, will be speaking at the GOP convention in Milwaukee next week, two sources familiar tell National Review, reflecting his prominence among Republicans. A spokesperson for Ramaswamy declined to comment further.
Last year, Ramaswmay burst onto the scene during the GOP presidential primary by making himself a constant fixture in the press and generating viral moments online. His penchant for debating and offering bold proposals to dramatically curtail the administrative state fueled his unexpected rise in early primary polls, to the point where rival GOP candidates spent much of the first debate attacking him in place of former president Donald Trump, who was not on the stage.
Ramaswamy’s ubiquitous media presence and comments drew criticism from detractors who thought he was using his campaign for fame and stardom rather than advancing serious ideas. Sometimes, Ramaswamy took outlandish positions and indulged in conspiracy theories, at one point being forced to walk back comments that veered into 9/11 trutherism.
Estimates place Ramaswamy’s net worth around $1 billion, and he spent a fraction of that money on his presidential campaign. His fortune comes primarily from a biotech company he founded, Roivant Sciences, and his investment firm Strive Asset Management.
Before entering politics, Ramaswamy authored the New York Times best-selling book Woke Inc., a highly personal critique of left-wing identity politics, and Nation of Victims, a warning against the perils of victimhood culture. As a public intellectual, Ramaswamy continues making the case for the agenda he proposed on the campaign trail, a mix between libertarian and “America First” strands of thinking.
Often during the campaign, Ramaswamy hesitated to criticize Trump, even though they were primary opponents and Trump was the front-runner. Ramaswamy tried to brand himself as an even stronger “America First” candidate than Trump and frequently described what he believes to be a crisis of meaning inflicting America today.
In January, after finishing a distant fourth with roughly 7 percent of the Iowa caucus vote, Ramaswamy dropped out and endorsed Trump, immediately becoming a campaign surrogate for his onetime rival. Ramaswamy outlasted high-profile Republican contenders such as former vice president Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
Despite his closeness to Trump and support for the former president’s agenda, Ramaswamy’s name quickly fell out of vice presidential contention. Trump is expected to reveal his running mate on Monday, the first night of the GOP convention, according to Politico.
Second-place primary finisher Nikki Haley will not be speaking at the GOP convention, but she encouraged her 97 delegates to vote for Trump as the party’s nominee. Haley said in May that she will be voting for Trump and urged him to actively court her supporters rather than take them for granted.
Trump’s most bitter primary rival, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, will be fundraising for a pro-Trump super PAC in Milwaukee during the convention. DeSantis is expected to speak at the convention, after he was initially not given a slot, Politico reported.
The convention will run Monday through Thursday and will culminate in Trump’s formally becoming the party’s presidential nominee for the third time.