(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Entrepreneur and 2024 presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy recently defended former President Donald Trump. This followed the news that a grand jury indicted Trump for criminal conspiracy to “defraud the United States,” “impede the January 6 congressional proceeding,” and interfere with “the right to vote.”
Ramaswamy declared that the current political party holding power is abusing law enforcement to “eliminate its political opponents from competition.“ The 2024 contender claims this is “political persecution through prosecution” targeted at the leading Republican heading into the party’s primary for the US president.
The indictment asserts that “The Defendant…used…false claims…to get state legislators and election officials to subvert the legitimate election results… organized fraudulent slates of electors… attempted to… conduct sham election crime investigations… [and] attempted to enlist the Vice President to… fraudulently alter the election results,” which culminated in obstruction of Congress. However, Ramaswamy believes that these assertions “fall flat” and that the indictment is “un-American,” committing to pardoning Trump if he is elected.
FiveThirtyEight aggregate polling shows only three candidates polling over 5%, with Trump as the decisive frontrunner with 53.4%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis following at 15.6%, and Ramaswamy at about 6.9%.
In contrast, Former Vice President Mike Pence condemned Trump, claiming the former president “demanded” him to “choose between him and the Constitution.” However, Pence is at about 4.4% and has not yet met the requirements set by the Republican National Committee to qualify for the upcoming August presidential debate.
Trump will not attend the FOX-hosted presidential debate, which may allow Ramaswamy to distinguish himself in the field. It also may require that DeSantis provide a more detailed response relating to the indictment beyond expressing the need for reform in America’s justice system, “As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans.”
As the Republican presidential primary continues, the DOJ will continue to influence the political dynamics of the race. With more indictments, Trump has continued to gain momentum and the appearance of a victim of political persecution by the government, which could continue to solidify his status as a frontrunner.
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