Vivek Ramaswamy Cheered by Trump Allies Eager to Derail DeSantis

Donald Trump and his allies have spent weeks praising Vivek Ramaswamy, a rival Republican 2024 contender, with members of the former president’s team believing the Ohio businessman’s outsider bid helps neutralize their greatest threat.

Ramaswamy emerged Wednesday as the central figure of the first Republican presidential debate, in what people familiar with the former president’s campaign strategy describe as a bid to undercut Ron DeSantis.

Trump’s allies see Ramaswamy as sapping support and attention from the Florida governor, compounding the narrative that his campaign is floundering, according to the people familiar who spoke on condition of anonymity to ...