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.
“It would be a lot easier for me in this race if he were eliminated,” he said.
He also announced that he had submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking communications between Mr. Biden, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Jack Smith, the special counsel in the documents case, to search for evidence of wrongdoing.
Mr. Ramaswamy claimed, without evidence, that the news media had been remiss in not investigating any improper ties between the White House and the Justice Department. He said it was “a shame” that a competitor in the race had to do so.
While Mr. Ramaswamy repeatedly struggled to speak over the crowd, several of Mr. Trump’s supporters who gathered to watch yelled at Mr. Ramaswamy to drop out, while others hurled taunts about his business career and his ties to corporate donors.
At one point, an aide handed Mr. Ramaswamy a microphone, which did not work. Moments later, a large group watching peeled away to watch a confrontation between demonstrators.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
