Vivek Ramaswamy garners over $450,000 within an hour after the Republican debate

Washington: Following the inaugural Republican presidential debate, Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has witnessed a surge in popularity ratings and online fundraising on Thursday.

According to the Ramaswamy campaign, the 38-year-old presidential hopeful managed to raise more than USD 450,000 within the first hour after the debate, with an average contribution of USD 38.

Despite facing challenges from three of his prominent rivals - former New Jersey Governor Chris Christies, former Vice President Mike Pence, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley - Ramaswamy's impact was notable.

"In the absence of Trump, Ramaswamy takes the lead in GOP debate," reported Axis, a popular news outlet. The initial post-debate poll showed Ramaswamy receiving the highest marks from 28% of 504 respondents. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed closely with 27%, Pence with 13%, and Haley securing 7% of the votes.

Ramaswamy emerged as the most Googled GOP candidate during the first Republican presidential debate, as reported by Fox News. Notably, he stood alongside fellow Indian-American contender Haley on the debate stage.

"The First Republican Primary Debate Puts Vivek Ramaswamy in the Spotlight," noted The Wall Street Journal. However, the newspaper's editorial board critiqued Ramaswamy's foreign policy proposals, suggesting they might not pave his way to the White House.

"The 38-year-old political newcomer, Vivek Ramaswamy, took center stage during Wednesday's prime-time GOP presidential debate, although there was little sign that he or any other candidate had found a new strategy to surpass the frontrunner, Donald Trump," stated the financial daily, emphasizing Ramaswamy's bold approach in engaging with rivals.

The New York Times commented on Ramaswamy's assertive performance, stating, "He came in strong, challenging his opponents, wearing a confident smile, and showing little deference to the more seasoned candidates on the platform."

The NBC news characterized the debate as "The Vivek Ramaswamy Show." It highlighted his role as both a defender of Donald Trump and a target of attacks from rivals on his foreign policy positions and relative inexperience.

The fast-growing online news portal, Messenger, attributed the debate's outcome to Ramaswamy's rising popularity.

"Vivek Ramaswamy sparred with Mike Pence. He battled Chris Christie. And he picked a fight with Nikki Haley. The underdog candidate and entrepreneur dominated the debate stage on Wednesday night, leveraging his unconventional policy perspectives to capture attention and provoke his adversaries. Ramaswamy also provided his opponents with a target to challenge without alienating Trump supporters or boosting DeSantis, who's in second place," Messenger reported.

Confident in his performance, Ramaswamy expressed his outlook to reporters after the debate, predicting that only two candidates will remain in the race: himself and former President Donald Trump. During the debate, he referred to Trump as one of the standout presidents of the 21st century.

"I clearly emerged as the night's winner. However, we're only at the beginning... My sense is that it was well-received. Soon, it'll come down to a two-way competition between Trump and me," Ramaswamy told reporters.