New York, Jan 15 (IANS) A top aide of former US President Donald Trump has said that voters are likely to rule out Indian-American longshot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as the Republican frontrunner's Vice Presidential pick.
The remarks by Jason Miller comes a day after Trump slammed the "very sly" biotech entrepreneur in a blistering social media post on January 13, saying: “a vote for Vivek is a vote for the other side".
Trump said voters should not get “duped” by Ramaswamy's "deceitful campaign tricks", and that he is a threat to MAGA -- Make America Great Again.
In a post shared on X on January 13, Ramaswamy said he is not going to criticise Trump in response to his attack, which he called a "friendly fire".
On Sunday, Miller told The New York Post that voters could “probably” rule out Ramaswamy as the ex-president’s running mate.
“Pretty safe to say it won’t be Vivek,” he said.
Trump, who leads the Republican race despite indictments and civil cases against him, has always praised the political newcomer as a "smart guy" and a "very intelligent person" who has "a lot of talent" and "good energy".
While being asked on a TV show in September last year whether he was considering a "Vice President Ramaswamy", Trump said: "Well, I think he's great. Look, anybody that said, I'm the best president in a generation... So I have to like a guy like that. You know, I can't get upset with him."
The former President had however, warned the political newcomer that he was becoming "a little bit controversial", asking him to "be a little bit careful" with what he says.
Asserting that he is not a "Plan B person", Ramaswamy had ruled out the possibility of him being the Vice President, saying he would not do well in a number two position in August last year.
While several names are being floated for the second top executive position in the US, Trump said last week that he has already chosen his running mate but has decided not to announce it yet.
In an NBC News interview about two months ago, Trump said he “likes the concept” of a woman as Vice President.
"We're going to choose the best person," he said.
IANS had reported earlier that 39-year-old Elise Stefanik, one of Trump's fiercest allies, fits this bill perfectly and she could end up as his running mate, though her credibility with swing states is still a big question.
