Conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy joins 2024 presidential race
Washington DC - Conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, and its left many wondering why.
If you are unaware of who Ramaswamy is, you're surely not alone.
The new candidate officially filed with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, making him the third to jump into the race following former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
The mogul recently released a campaign video, touting his race, success in business, and faith in God as reasons to support him.
He even reluctantly admitted that he is in fact a millennial as he was born in 1985, and added, "the sad part is that if I'd been born 20 years later, I think my story would have been impossible."
The presidential hopeful went on to share a handful of platitudes that have become commonplace with GOP candidates, including subjects like "faith, patriotism, hard work, and family."
The businessman's bread and butter appears to be his "anti-woke" stance and advocacy for free speech, positions that he has cultivated over the years.
In the clip, he denounces America's embrace of "one secular religion after another," including "Covid-ism, climate-ism, and gender ideology."
"Today the woke left preys on that vacuum," he said. "They tell you that your race, your gender, and your sexual orientation govern who you are, and what you can achieve in life. If you question that orthodoxy they call you a bigot, a homophobe, a climate denier, a racist ... This is psychological slavery."
Does Vivek Ramaswamy stand a chance?
Ramaswamy has amassed a fortune in biotech investing, but his claim to fame amongst conservatives comes from his regular appearances as a pundit on Fox News. Outside that small circle, he is relatively unknown, and many of the platitudes in his campaign ad are already leading topics with more popular candidates.
Trump is currently viewed as the favored candidate amongst Republican voters, but the party and donors have expressed interest in supporting a different GOP candidate in the upcoming election cycle.
While Ramaswamy may have a long road ahead if he hopes to win the Republican primaries – and maybe even the presidency – it's not entirely impossible. But he will likely have to face off against Trump, who is ravenous for re-election.
Cover photo: Collage: Lisa Lake/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP