Among the Republican presidential candidates, only one has taken the initiative to publicly express their support for Trump.
During a speech outside the Miami courthouse, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy urged his challengers to sign an open letter pledging to pardon President Trump if any of them were elected. He further emphasized the importance of all Republican candidates supporting his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The request calls for the Biden administration to disclose all written and verbal communications pertaining to the decision made by Special Counsel Jack Smith to charge Trump with 37 counts related to the “boxes hoax” investigation.
Vivek noted that none of the candidates, including Ron DeSantis, responded to his request.
“This is my commitment. On January 20th, 2025, if I’m elected the next U.S. President, to pardon Donald J. Trump for these offenses in this federal case, and I have challenged — I have demanded — that every other candidate in this race either sign this commitment to pardon on January 20, 2025, or else to explain why they are not,” Ramaswamy thundered.
Amidst the cheering of spectators, the aspiring candidate boldly asserted that both he and other Republican presidential contenders were being subjected to immense pressure from party donors, urging them to distance themselves from Trump’s indictment. However, Ramaswamy adamantly declared that he would not comply with such demands, firmly stating that staying away from the former president’s legal proceedings was simply not an option.
“The donor class has been calling every Republican candidate and telling us to stay away from this, not to touch it from a 10-foot pole. Keep your distance away from President Trump, that’s what the donor class is telling us. That’s what they’re telling the other candidates. I refuse to abide by being a disciple of the donor class.”
Watch:
The New York Times reported:
Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and activist who is running against Donald J. Trump for the Republican nomination, told reporters outside the courthouse in Miami on Tuesday that he had reached out to other presidential candidates to urge them to commit to pardoning the former president if they win in 2024.
Mr. Ramaswamy, who has been among Mr. Trump’s most vocal supporters since the indictment, said he had floated the idea of such a pledge to Mr. Trump’s main Republican rivals, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, as well as Democrats challenging President Biden, like Robert Kennedy Jr.
Speaking outside the federal court building where Mr. Trump was scheduled to appear hours later, Mr. Ramaswamy was often drowned out by competing chants between Trump supporters and demonstrators who had come to celebrate the indictment.
Mr. Ramaswamy said that even though he could benefit politically from the case, he believed the prospect of the Republican front-runner facing an extended prosecution and possibly jail time was dangerous for democracy.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Ramaswamy campaign took action by submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. This request aims to obtain access to all documented communications between Joe Biden, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, specifically in relation to the case involving President Trump, who is facing 37 counts. Biden has consistently asserted that he played no part in authorizing the prosecution, despite the Justice Department falling under the authority of the White House.
Watch:
