With Nikki Haley dropping out of the Republican primary, the stage appears to be set for a general election rematch between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Or is it?
There has been plenty of speculation about whether Biden will be replaced at the top of the Democratic ticket. Former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is among those who do not believe Biden will be on the 2024 ballot. As such, Republicans need a strategy shift.
On Wednesday’s show, Ramaswamy joined Megyn to discuss his “switcheroo” theory and what he believes the GOP needs to do to prepare for it.
‘The Trap’
Between the poll numbers showing Trump beating Biden in a general election and the power of the ‘uncommitted’ vote in the Democratic primary, Ramaswamy said he sees “a lot of complacency in the Republican camp after Super Tuesday.”
He believes that complacency is misguided. “I think the real race hasn’t really even begun because I don’t think Biden is going to be the nominee,” Ramaswamy explained. “I think they’re already planting the seeds and laying the breadcrumbs that make it evident that they’re preparing to move him out of the way.”
In Ramaswamy’s view, the “switcheroo” will likely not come before the summer because Democrats see “an advantage” in prolonging the ‘will they, won’t they’ as long as possible. “The more Republicans fall into the trap – and I do see it as a trap – of focusing the agenda on Biden and talking about his age, talking about his frailty… his lack of mental acuity, even some of the corruption… the better it is for the Democrats,” he said.
From Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, there have been lots of guesses as to who could replace Biden. Obama’s team attempted to quell rumors with a statement saying she supports the incumbent, but Ramaswamy wasn’t moved. “The lady doth protest too much, I would say right there,” he joked. “We’ll see about that.”
While Ramaswamy said he doesn’t pay much mind to who would emerge as the nominee, he believes the person will likely have to fit a specific bill. “If you believe in the modern left’s religion, it has to be somebody who checks off at least one identitarian box,” he noted. “I think they would have a tough time putting Gavin Newsom on there unless they make Kamala Harris VP again, which allows them to stomach that.”
GOP Strategy Shift
With so much uncertainty, Ramaswamy said the GOP strategy needs to be about policy and direction. “I’m not some sort of analyst that has a particular opinion in the betting markets of whether it’s going to be Gavin or Michelle or Hillary Clinton or somebody else,” he said. “I think, in some ways, we still fall into that same trap if we obsess over that question versus what I think a Republican Party needs to be doing, which is focusing on our own affirmative agenda irrespective of who we’re running against.”
So, what does that “affirmative agenda” entail? “We’re focused on a nation with borders actually behaving like a nation, on economic growth in the pursuit of excellence without apologizing for it, on a national identity grounded in the 1776 principles that set our country into motion,” Ramaswamy explained. “That’s what ‘Make America Great Again’ is all about.”
It’s a strategy that takes more effort, but Ramaswamy believes it is necessary for success. “It’s a lot easier to criticize an individual than it is to actually articulate and affirm an agenda and a vision of your own, but that’s what I think we need to level up and do in these coming months,” he concluded. “When that switch does come… it matters less who they put up because we’ve already immunized ourselves against the effect of that.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Ramaswamy by tuning in to episode 739 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.