Vivek Ramaswamy: Tucker would be ‘good addition’ to GOP presidential field

He called Carlson “one of the smartest voices in the conservative movement,” and lauded Carlson’s willingness to “defect from party orthodoxy when necessary.”

“There’s definitely a thought leadership vacuum in political media, across the political spectrum. And Tucker was one of the great political thinkers and commentators of our time,” Ramaswamy said.

The 37-year-old biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke Inc.” also has a connection to the ouster of Don Lemon on CNN. Lemon, who announced he was terminated by CNN on Monday, got into an on-air skirmish with Ramaswamy last week about race and the role of firearms in Black American history. During the heated exchange, Lemon indicated network staff off-screen were “talking in (his) ear.” The New York Times reported that Lemon’s conduct during the interview left top CNN officials “exasperated.”

“I think my exchange with him played a role in this,” Ramaswamy said on Monday, agreeing with the Times’ report.

“I think it’s a gutsy decision, that I applaud,” he said of CNN’s ouster of Lemon. “It’s another example of companies gaining a spine.”

Ramaswamy recently met with network CEO Chris Licht, according to a person aware of the meeting.