Ramaswamy Says Attacks on Him at Debate Shows Establishment is ‘Threatened’

Vivek Ramaswamy called attacks by his fellow Republicans during Wednesday's debate a "badge of honor" and a sign they are "threatened."

"To be at the center stage and see a lot of establishment politicians [who are] that threatened by my rise, I am thrilled that it actually gave me an opportunity to introduce myself to the people of this country," Ramaswamy told CNN's Dana Bash following the debate. "We're just getting warmed up."

The 38-year-old entrepreneur described himself as the "outsider" among the candidates on the Fox News stage and said of their attacks: "I took it as a badge of honor."

Ramaswamy tangled with candidates such as Mike Pence and Nikki Haley on topics including foreign policy during the first GOP primary debate, but he earned praise from Donald Trump.

The former president thanked Ramaswamy for naming him the best president of the 21st century.

"This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big WIN in the debate because of a thing called TRUTH," the ex-president wrote on Truth Social. "Thank you Vivek!"