Nearly all presidential campaigns in the modern era are run on donations -- tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars worth of donations, with one notable exception being the 2016 campaign of then-GOP nominee Donald Trump, a billionaire businessman.
Without having to rely on big donors who want big favors in the form of policies once the candidate becomes president as payback, Trump was able to implement his "America First" agenda without fear of being accused of catering to "big business" or "big money interests."
Now, there is a 2024 Republican presidential contender who has come up with his own unique way of raising money for his campaign, and that is to make it monetarily worthwhile for people to help him.
Call it an "affiliate program" for supporters, if you will.
From the candidate's campaign website:
Calling all go-getters who support Vivek’s America First 2.0 vision for the country. Get some skin in the game $$$.
Join the Vivek Kitchen Cabinet Team. Our program leverages the power of peer-to-peer relationships to promote small dollar donations and bundling. Members get a cut of the donations they bring in. More support for Vivek is more money in your pocket $$$. To join, simply fill out our form and get verified by our team.
Members of the ‘Vivek Kitchen Cabinet’ will receive:
- A dedicated fundraising link to achieve their goals
- Earn 10% per donation attributed to their dedicated link
- A personal dashboard to track their progress
- Special awards and incentives, such as a personalized donation page, exclusive campaign swag, a personal call with Vivek, and invites to special events
There is a video posted to the site in which Ramaswamy explains the program as well as his vision for the country.
"We're breaking the system. This is the first time this has ever been done," he said in the video. "Welcome to the Kitchen Cabinet."
In June, shortly after special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump over allegations he mishandled classified documents, Ramaswamy said he would pardon Trump if the entrepreneur managed to win the presidency. He explained himself later in an interview with Fox News.
"So, you have said that you would pardon the president. You have asked others to join and do the same. You talked about this a political indictment, political in nature, and you talked about dismantling institutions, wholesale, like the FBI," host Shannon Bream said, adding:
"The New York Times" which is covering you in Iowa says this is what the question becomes for many people. Are Republicans like Mr. Ramaswamy risking the stability of the country for their own political fortunes? Some fear that the aggressive rhetoric he and other Republicans regularly use both in defense of Mr. Trump and then attacking the justice system could cause lasting damage. Do you acknowledge that possibility? Are you worried about it?
"Well, look, I’m even more worried, Shannon, about the opposite possibility, which is when the Department of Justice weaponizes police force against people based on their political viewpoints. That already undermines trust in the justice system," Ramaswamy said in response.
"So, I think it’s important for leaders including like me to stand up and call that out unsparingly. I should think that helps build up trust in our institutions, to say that, you know what, it doesn't have to stay this way," he continued.
"So, under my watch we'll make sure the FBI, first of all, doesn't exist as an institution. On the local level, you have local prosecutors and local police. At the federal level, you have U.S. Marshals and the Department of Justice," he noted further.
"But when you have large bureaucracies that sit in between, that’s a formula for corruption. And whether it was that FBI going after Martin Luther King Jr., threatening him to commit suicide 60 years, or whether it’s going after political conservatives like President Trump today, that’s not justice," the candidate said.
"And I really would have a much easier time, frankly, in this election if President Trump weren't in the race. So, this isn’t about my political calculus. This is about standing up for principles over politics, and I actually think that helps build trust in our institutions. That’s why I’m speaking out."
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