Vivek Ramaswamy barnstorms Iowa, says campaign will 'shatter expectations' at Iowa Caucuses

CRESCO, Iowa — Vivek Ramaswamy returned to the campaign trail in Iowa Thursday less than 24 hours after the fourth Republican primary debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and said he's working to close the gap with other GOP presidential candidates.

Ramaswamy spoke at three events to mostly-full crowds in Cresco, New Hampton and Charles City Thursday. He has seven more events planned in Iowa on Friday and Saturday. In the October Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, 4% of likely Republican caucusgoers named Ramaswamy as their first choice.

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Former President Donald Trump led the poll with 43% of likely caucusgoers saying he was their first choice. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley were tied for second place with 16%.

In Cresco one attendee asked Ramaswamy what he could do to "close the gap" he faces.

Many of Ramaswamy's supporters have never been to a caucus and are not polled, Ramaswamy replied. Ramaswamy's campaign is leaning heavily into recruiting young people who've never caucused and on recruiting under-represented groups who rarely caucus.

Expectations for his campaign set by reporters and pundits are low, Ramaswamy acknowledged. But he thinks people will show up well for him.

"I think we are going to deliver a major surprise," Ramaswamy said. "That combination is going to allow us to shatter those expectations, and that's going to propel us forward to win the presidency."

Ramaswamy has bet big on Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses. In Cresco, Ramaswamy said his campaign will hold "hundreds" of events in the 40 or so days before the caucuses.

On Dec. 2, while hosting an event to discuss plans to build carbon-capture pipelines and eminent domain Ramaswamy acknowledged that he may not win the Republican nomination for president, saying, “If for whatever reason, I am not successful this spring in winning the Republican nomination, I will continue in my advocacy on this issue until we have achieved our goal,” according to NBC News.

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After an event in Charles City Thursday Ramaswamy said that he's "laser focused" on becoming the GOP nominee for president, but that if he does not win the nomination he will keep fighting against the use of eminent domain for carbon-capture pipelines.

"I'm driven by a cause and I'm going to keep that promise regardless," Ramaswamy said Thursday after an event in Charles City. "But the activism that I do as U.S. President I laid out exactly what I would do in the case of not standing for unconstitutional eminent domain. That's the biggest impact I can have."

Jerry Bohr asked Ramaswamy how he can help disabled veterans and reform the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Ramaswamy responded that veterans could vote on the salaries of top executives and decide personnel decisions.

Afterward Bohr, who travels for his job and works in Iowa and New York on veterans issues, said he liked Ramaswamy's response and filled a caucus card out to make phone calls for his campaign.

"He goes really into depth," Bohr said. "He's really impressive. I appreciate him coming to me."

In a stop in New Hampton Thursday Ramaswamy also said he agreed with the hold placed on military promotions by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, saying the former Auburn football coach was "Brave to take a stand." Tuberville protested a Pentagon policy on abortion by placing a hold on over 400 military promotions for nominees three stars and below. His hold forced the Senate to confirm promotions individually instead of by voice votes.

Tuberville ended his hold Tuesday, though he still placed a hold on 11-four-star nominees.

"It's not just about the abortion issue," Ramaswamy said. "It's about corrupt, captured, self-hating generals populating the layers of the Pentagon at the highest level. I think we have these procedures for a reason. We're not just supposed to go through and rubber-stamp everything that goes through Congress."

Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Vivek Ramaswamy predicting surprise result from Iowa Caucuses