Trump is leading the Republican primary contest far ahead with 56 per cent of registered Republicans on his side despite the three different indictments filed against him recently, according to a new poll. There is a mere 3 per cent drop in the support for the former US President as Emerson College's previous poll in June pegged his support at 59 per cent.
Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida governor Ron DeSantis are tied for the second place with 10 per cent support each, the Emerson College poll revealed. DeSantis, who registered 21 per cent in June, saw a sharp 11 per cent plunge in his support in two months, while Ramaswamy has surged to the second spot from a mere 2 per cent back then.
The latest development comes four days before the contest’s first debate. “Ramaswamy has improved among Republican voters with a postgraduate degree, a group that has previously been part of the DeSantis’s base,” said Spencer Kimball, the poll’s executive director.
Ramaswamy earlier referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an 'outstanding leader', saying, “I think he’s been an excellent prime minister for India. I think he has unapologetically embraced free-market capitalism.”
Ramaswamy whose parents are originally from Kerala, was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his undergraduation from Harvard University and pursued law from Yale University.
Another Republican candidate of Indian origin are former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, 51, who was Trump's first ambassador to the UN and the only woman in the Republican primary contest.
Hirsh Vardhan Singh became the third Republican of Indian origin to join the race for US President on July 30. Singh made headlines after being nicknamed, “Trump on steroids” and called himself the only pure-blood candidate as he never got the COVID jab.
Other Indian Americans to run for the White House were Bobby Jindal in 2016 and US Vice President Kamala Harris in 2020.