Vivek Ramaswamy, a prominent Trump ally and potential VP candidate, defended former President Donald Trump in a CNN interview ahead of the debate. Ramaswamy emphasized several times to anchor John Berman that the debate was scheduled for that evening.
Throughout the week, Trump supporters, including Trump’s National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, criticized the upcoming CNN debate. Leavitt was abruptly cut off during an interview after repeatedly criticizing moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
During his appearance on CNN News Central, Ramaswamy positioned himself as a staunch advocate for Trump, characterizing the CNN debate as a hostile environment. He portrayed Trump as a unifying figure and expressed concerns about the debate potentially devolving into personal attacks rather than focusing on policy issues.
In his conversation with Berman, Ramaswamy stressed Trump’s readiness for the debate and urged him to stay true to himself rather than succumb to outside influences. He underscored the importance of discussing policy visions for the future of the country, contrasting it with what he viewed as divisive rhetoric from President Biden.
JOHN BERMAN: Have you had policy discussions with Donald Trump recently?
VIVEK RAMASWAMY: I had conversations with Donald Trump before the debate, and I’ll be in Atlanta this evening as well. But what I will say is in my impression, Donald Trump is prepared on his own two feet for this debate. My best advice to him is be yourself. Don’t do what anybody else tells you to do.
He served as President of the United States. And if this is about the policy records of both presidents, and if this is about their actual policy vision for the next four years, this debate is going to be good for America. If it’s about relitigating past grievances or attacks or accusations on either candidate, I think it’s going to be bad for America. And I think that’s what’s at stake tonight. And that does not come across in the media’s normal reporting of him.
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One of my pieces of advice to him, and I think that he will be successful in getting this across, if not at the debate for the rest of the campaign, is how much he does care about reuniting one nation in this country.
Biden pledged to unite the country. He has failed miserably. And I think having this debate tonight, has a chance to focus on the vision for the future, rather than relitigate.
