Politics

Trump Prods Vivek Ramaswamy to Go for JD Vance’s Former Job in Senate

BACK IN THE MIX

The billionaire from Cincinnati previously withdrew himself from consideration to replace Vance.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: Vivek Ramaswamy attends the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Donald Trump has encouraged one-half of the controversial DOGE duo to gun for a Senate seat soon opening up in Ohio.

Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is back in the mix of names being thrown around for the post that will be vacated by vice president-elect JD Vance, even after he took himself out of consideration in November to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency with fellow billionaire Elon Musk, according to The Washington Post.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine met with Ramaswamy over the weekend as he mulls over who will take the Senate seat, reported Politico. DeWine is tasked with appointing a new Ohio Senator until an election in 2026.

Though the decision rests with DeWine, Trump has urged Ramaswamy to accept the role if offered to him, according to The Post.

The 39-year-old Ramaswamy, who was born to Indian immigrant parents in Cincinnati, was involved in a MAGA civil war last month when he defended tech companies’ hiring of foreign-born nationals over Americans.

“A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture,” he wrote in a wordy post on X, sending MAGA world into meltdown. “Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.”’

Ramaswamy floated the idea of running for Ohio governor in September last year. It’s unclear how an appointment to the Senate would affect his role at DOGE, an advisory body tasked with cutting government spending.

The tech mogul’s supporters, including Musk, are reportedly all for him taking the seat.

“In terms of the DOGE component, you want someone quarterbacking the legislative and statutory components in the Senate, and for Vivek, I think he and the country will benefit greatly from him serving in elected office,” said Avik Roy, a conservative commentator and president of the think tank Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.

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