Differences with Trump very small: Ramaswamy

Washington: Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy has acknowledged that there were some "very small" differences between him and former US president Donald Trump but they were "deeply aligned" on policy issues, 90-plus per cent of the way” as the two fight it out for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2024.

Speaking to Fox News on Friday about his policy differences with Trump, his fellow Republican rival in the race for the party's nomination next year, Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, said he and Trump were “the two ‘America-first' candidates” in the race.

“I think we have an opportunity to reunite this country around our shared ideals, and that will allow me to take the America First agenda even further than Donald Trump did, by building on what I think is a very good foundation that he laid,” Ramaswamy said.

“I think we're deeply aligned on policy, 90-plus per cent of the way,” The Hill newspaper quoted Ramaswamy as saying on Fox News.

“There are some small differences. I would rescind affirmative action. I would militarise the southern border instead of just building the wall. I would shut down the U.S. Department of Education, not just put a good person, [former Education Secretary] Betsy DeVos, on top to reform it,” Ramaswamy said.

Trump, 77, has lavished praise on the 38-year-old Indian-American presidential contender Ramaswamy, calling him a "smart, young guy" days after he caught the attention of the American media following his maiden Republican presidential primary debate on August 23.

Trump, the frontrunner in the nomination race, made the remarks on Tuesday, after he was asked whether he's considering a "Vice President Ramaswamy".

During the interview on Friday, Ramaswamy said that he supports Trump's policies. Ramaswamy has effusively praised Trump throughout his campaign, promising to pardon the former president of any potential convictions on his first day in the White House. (PTI)