GOP Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Denies He’d Take Trump Cabinet Position

Vivek Ramaswamy, a rising star in the GOP presidential field, said he would not serve in President Donald Trump’s cabinet if he fails to secure the Republican nomination.

The businessman addressed rumors he was only running to gain a Trump cabinet position on the Steve Hilton Show Tuesday, saying he would decline such an offer and instead continue work in the private sector.

“Of course you want to be elected president. That’s why you’re in the race,” Hilton told Ramaswamy. “There’s been speculation that that’s such a long shot that’s not really why you’re doing it. You’re aiming for example to be cabinet secretary in a Trump administration, or whatever.”

“Would you take a position in the administration of any of your rivals?” Hilton asked.

“I would not,” Ramaswamy remarked.

“I think the right way to drive change for me in this country, if I’m not in this race, is through the private sector as I’ve been doing it. We all have to look ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves, how can we make our unique contributions?”

“I think there’s a lot of talented politicians, and if there’s a need for another politician to fill some rank, there’s a great deep bench to choose from.”

“I think in our movement, there’s a lot thinner of a bench when it comes to people who actually know how to build great enterprises, achieve great success. I’ve been writing one book every six months on average before this campaign in parallel with building those businesses,” he said.

Washington Examiner notes a Ramaswamy spokesperson had previously said he’s also not interested in being a vice president for any of his fellow GOP challengers.

The Republican dark horse candidate earned favor with Trump’s base earlier this year when he showed up outside a federal courthouse in Miami last June announcing he’d filed a FOIA request related to Trump’s case. He went on to chastise other GOP candidates like Ron DeSantis for failing to speak up in Trump’s defense.

Ramaswamy was one of the only Republican candidates who emerged unscathed following an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson during the recent 2023 Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, sponsored by The Blaze.