Is Vivek Ramaswamy Trump's heir apparent?

One clear outcome of the first Republican presidential debate: Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur interloper, has turned himself into a GOP rising star. "He came in hot, slamming his rivals, smiling wide and showing little deference to the more experienced candidates onstage," The New York Times reported. The result? Ramaswamy has "suddenly become a major factor in the race," Politico assessed.

Ramaswamy "won the online attention contest" during the debate, said The Washington Post's Philip Bump. The candidate's apparent approach: "Pluck popular, often misleading rhetoric from the fringe of right-wing media and internet chatter and present it back to an audience that loves it." That strategy worked to elevate Trump in 2016. But some observers were unimpressed. "I thought he was sort of running to be Jesse Watters' fill-in, like he seemed much more like a Fox host," said MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace.

Somebody who was impressed? Donald Trump, the former president and current GOP front-runner. Ramaswamy, after all, called Trump the "best president of the 21st century." Politico reported that Trump was pleased. "This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big WIN in the debate because of a thing called TRUTH," Trump wrote online. "Thank you Vivek!" Ramaswamy probably won't be the GOP nominee in 2024. But could he end up as Trump's running mate and heir apparent?

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What the commentators said

Ramaswamy "kissed up to Trump, and Trump liked it," Caleb Ecarma wrote at Vanity Fair. It's difficult to tell whether Ramaswamy's combativeness was a "shtick or not," but it "clearly got viewers' attention." The candidate was running behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in national polls before the debate — now it wouldn't be a surprise to see him surpass DeSantis. One problem? "Second place is still a far cry from Trump's commanding lead."

"Primary debates are a demagogue's dream," Mona Charen wrote at The Bulwark. The nature of the format — this one featuring eight candidates — "guarantees that candidates will seek a 'breakout moment' that can be replayed on social media." That creates the conditions for "dominance displays, put downs, and cross talk that do little to enlighten viewers." Ramaswamy got his breakout moment but at a cost. "Are you not entertained?"

Ramaswamy has the "gift of energy and verbal facility," The Wall Street Journal editorialized. But he "can also sound like a young man in too much of a hurry," much like a "supercilious grad student." And he may be trying too hard to run as "Trump's biggest defender." He "would be more credible if he weren't so slavish in his defense."

"Suddenly, this inexperienced and dangerous showoff is almost a household name," Margaret Sullivan wrote at The Guardian. Ramaswamy "thinks the climate crisis is a hoax, supports Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine and would gladly pardon Donald Trump." And Republican voters are eating it up. "As a glimpse of America's future, it couldn't have gone much worse."

What next?

Ramaswamy's performance at the debate has thrust him into the spotlight. Media outlets aren't just analyzing his debate style — they're also taking a closer look at the policies and opinions he would bring to the White House. Those proposals "would transform the U.S.," The Washington Post reported. On Ramaswamy's agenda: shutting down the FBI, IRS and other federal agencies; dropping the climate change fight in favor of burning more coal; and raising the voting age to 25, which would "strip the franchise from tens of millions of Americans." Even some on the right balk. "He comes up with these half-baked ideas that sound great to a conservative audience but show no thought, research or feasibility behind them," one analyst at a conservative think tank told the Post.

The question now is whether Ramaswamy can survive the spotlight, John Ward wrote at Yahoo News. The new level of scrutiny is something "he has never experienced during his brief time in the public eye." Already, Ramaswamy has drawn flack for statements about Jan. 6 and 9/11. Even Fox News is in on the act, questioning Ramaswamy's privileged upbringing. Ramaswamy may be a "bold challenger of progressive policies," The Wall Street Journal opined. But he can also be "glib and reckless."