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Vivek Ramaswamy has leapfrogged Ron DeSantis into second place in the race to become the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, following Wednesday night's contentious debate, according to a leading bookmaker.
The 38-year-old business tycoon provoked both boos and cheers when he claimed the other seven GOP hopefuls had been "bought and paid for" by donors, before claiming the United States is "in an internal sort of cold cultural civil war."
While the Republican contest was initially seen by many as a two-horse race between Donald Trump and DeSantis, the Florida governor has lost ground over the past few months, with a recent Cygnal poll putting him one point behind Ramaswamy in third position. The contest has been partly overshadowed by Trump's ongoing legal difficulties, with the former president having been charged in four separate cases. He denies any wrongdoing.
Trump did not attend Thursday's debate, instead opting for an interview with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Prior to Wednesday's debate online gambling company Betway had Trump as favorite to win the GOP nomination, with odds of 7/20, followed by DeSantis on 6/1 and Ramaswamy on 7/1. Odds of 7/20 mean that if a gambler stakes $20 on a Trump victory, which then takes place, they stand to make $7 in profit.
However after the debate, on Thursday morning, DeSantis' odds had slumped to 8/1, whilst Ramaswamy improved to 6/1. Trump remains the strong favorite according to Betway, with his odds unchanged on 7/20.
Newsweek has contacted the Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis campaigns for comment by email.
During the debate the eight candidates sparred over abortion, U.S. support for Ukraine and whether they would pardon Trump if elected president and he is convicted.
Ramaswamy argued American aid to Ukraine is "driving Russia further into China's hands" and said the money should instead be spent securing the U.S.-Mexico border. However he was attacked by Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, who accused the businessman of wanting to "hand" Ukraine to Putin and "let China eat Taiwan."
Ex-New Jersey governor Chris Christie took aim at Trump, stating: "Whether or not that you believe the criminal charges are wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of the president of the United States."
Following boos from the audience, Ramaswamy claimed Christie's campaign was focused "on vengeance and grievance against one man."
On abortion, former vice-president Mike Pence vowed to be a "champion of life" if elected to the White House, adding: "Consensus is the opposite of leadership."
However, Haley urged Republicans to "humanize the situation" and "stop demonizing this issue" following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Speaking to Carlson on X, Trump said he had not taken part in the debate because he didn't want to be "harassed" by lower polling candidates, and accused host network Fox News of backing DeSantis.
He said: "I'm leading by 50 and 60 points. And I'm saying, 'Do I sit there for an hour or two hours, whatever it's going to be, and get harassed by people that shouldn't even be running for president?'"
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics ... Read more