- Former US Representative Madison Cawthorn attended Vivek Ramaswamy’s pre-debate meeting in Miami, Florida on Tuesday evening
- The ex-congressman told DailyMail.com that he is still ‘hardcore for Trump’ in 2024
- “Vivek is the only man I see on stage who represents my values,” he added
Madison Cawthorn attended Vivek Ramaswamy’s pre-debate meeting in Miami, Florida on Tuesday evening – but assured that he still absolutely supports ex-President Donald Trump in 2024.
The former US congressman from North Carolina said he is in Miami for the purpose of attending the third Republican primary debate and told DailyMail.com that Ramaswamy is the only candidate on stage who “represents my values.”
“Oh, I’m still hardcore for Trump,” Cawthorn said, adding, “I would fight and die for Trump.”
As he walked into the Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood with his wife Apoorva on Tuesday evening, Ramaswamy greeted Cawthorn, who he seemed surprised to see.
Former US Representative Madison Cawthorn attended Vivek Ramaswamy’s pre-debate evening rally in Miami, Florida on Tuesday, but the ex-congressman told DailyMail.com he is still ‘hardcore for Trump’
Ramaswamy spoke before taking some questions from the audience – including one from Cawthorn – at an event he called a ‘Stop World War III’ rally
Ramaswamy’s campaign told DailyMail.com that they had not specifically contacted Cawthorn in advance about attending the ‘Stop World War III’ rally.
‘Everyone is welcome!’ Ramaswamy’s campaign was noticed.
The 2024 hopeful and biotech millionaire took the final question of his event from Cawthorn, praising the former representative and die-hard Trump ally.
“This man is amazing,” Ramaswamy said. “For those of you who don’t know, he’s an American hero.”
Cawthorn questioned whether the industry could be brought back to the U.S. from China as tensions between the U.S. and the communist Asian nation rise.
About Ramaswamy, Cawthorn told DailyMail.com: ‘When I watch the debates, the only man I see on stage who represents my values is Vivek.’
He said his “goal” is to try to attend Wednesday’s Republican debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami, Florida — but it wasn’t clear whether he has a clear path to getting to it event to participate.
It was also not immediately clear whether the former representative also wanted to attend former President Trump’s rally Wednesday night, just 15 miles away from the debate stage in Hialeah, Florida.
Ramaswamy is one of five candidates who met the qualifications to debate Wednesday and signed the Republican National Committee (RNC) pledge allowing them to take the stage.
Cawthorn spoke with others at the ‘Stop World War III’ rally the night before the third presidential primary debate in Miami, Florida
Cawthorn (pictured Tuesday with a Corona beer) served in Congress from 2021-2023 but was not re-elected to a second term. He told DailyMail.com that he would still ‘fight and die’ for Trump, but said: ‘Vivek is the only man on stage I see who represents my values’
“This guy is amazing,” Ramaswamy said of Cawthorn. “For those of you who don’t know, he’s an American hero.”
Trump has refused to sign a pledge to support the eventual nominee and has opted to skip the debates, claiming events are beneath him because he is so far ahead in the polls of the rest of the 2024 primary field.
Besides Ramaswamy, the other participants in the debate are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Speaking to the press at the end of the event, Ramaswamy said he expects a more robust debate to take place on Wednesday now that the field has been thinned out and there are not “seven kids shouting over each other.”
He noted that the second debate in Simi Valley, California in September was “useless” because of all the personal attacks.