Vivek Ramaswamy holds centre stage at GOP debate

Ramaswamy, whose ratings have surged in recent weeks, was on the stage with 7 other party veterans

- Prashant Jha

By the time the US Republican debate concluded on Wednesday, Indianorigin presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, knew he had a good night. With his "ten truths" - including God is real; there are two genders; an open border is no border - Ramaswamy aimed to strike a chord with the core beliefs of the Republican base.

The Harvard-educated entrepreneur-turned-political-candidate, whose ratings have surged in recent weeks, was on the stage with seven other party veterans.

They included Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who was once considered a leading candidate but has seen his ratings slump; the second Indian-origin candidate, former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; former vice-president Mike Pence, whose decision to certify Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 elections alienated the party's base; former New Jersey governor Chris Christie; former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson; North Dakota governor Doug Burgum; and the only Black Republican Senator and Black candidate in the race, Tim Scott.