Ramaswamy raises $450,000 shortly after Republican debate

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy raised $450,000 on Wednesday night after the first GOP debate, his campaign confirmed.

Tricia McLaughlin, a senior adviser for the campaign, confirmed the amount, adding in a Friday text message, “Yesterday was $600K our biggest day yet.”

Ramaswamy stole the spotlight for much of the first GOP debate as several other 2024 GOP challengers attacked him over his lack of political and foreign policy experience. 

The 38-year-old GOP millennial took many of those attacks in stride, showing a split-screen between an up-and-comer candidate and other more experienced politicians, like former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence. 

“You got people on this stage that won’t even talk about issues like Social Security and Medicare. I mean Vivek, you recently said a president can’t do everything. Well, I got news for you, Vivek — I’ve been in a hallway, I’ve been in the West Wing. A president of the United States has to confront every crisis facing America,” Pence said during the debate.

“This isn’t that complicated, guys. Unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear. Put people back to work by no longer paying them more to stay at home,” Ramaswamy responded to Pence at one point.

“Let me explain it to you, Vivek,” Pence responded. “I’ll go slower this time.”

A poll released by The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight and Ipsos after the debate showed 29 percent of probable GOP primary voters or caucusgoers who tuned into the debate felt DeSantis performed best on Wednesday night, with 26 percent saying the same about Ramaswamy.