The discussions come amid a seemingly growing alliance between Trump and Ramaswamy, a wealthy businessman and conservative activist who is also seeking the Republican nomination. Ramaswamy has largely refrained from criticizing Trump. Just this week, he defended the former president after a New York City jury found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
Ramaswamy has also emerged as a staunch critic of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s main rival.
Trump released a statement last week praising Ramaswamy, saying, “What I like about Vivek is that he has nothing but good things to say about ‘President Trump’ and everything the Trump administration has done so successfully.”
Spokesmen for the Trump campaign and American Exceptionalism PAC declined to comment. Lewandowski did not respond to a request for comment. It’s not clear if Lewandowski will eventually join the Super PAC and, if so, exactly what role he would have.
Federal law prohibits super-PACs from working directly with campaigns. And those familiar with the discussions say that Trump simply did not object to Lewandowski joining the pro-Ramaswamy group, not as a means of putting him there to help his own election efforts.
Still, Lewandowski’s presence at American Exceptionalism could bolster PAC Trump. With Lewandowski involved, top Republicans believe it would be unthinkable that the super-PAC would target the former president and most likely direct its fire elsewhere.
American Exceptionalism PAC filed papers announcing its formation with the Federal Election Commission on February 17, just days before Ramaswamy launched his campaign. Since then, the organization has reported spending just under $90,000 to support Ramaswamy, in New Hampshire and Iowa.
Lewandowski has a long and complicated history with Trump. After serving as Trump’s campaign manager, he was fired in June 2016, when the then-candidate ran for general election against Hillary Clinton. But Lewandowski remained a close ally and prominent surrogate to Trump throughout his administration. After Trump left the White House, Lewandowski was tapped to head a pro-Trump super PAC.
But in September 2021, Lewandowski was ousted from the former president’s political job following allegations that he made unwelcome sexual advances toward a major Trump donor during a charity dinner at a Las Vegas hotel. In September 2022, after being charged with misdemeanor battery by prosecutors, Lewandowski agreed to a deal that saw him undergo eight hours of impulse control therapy, complete 50 hours of community service, and pay a $1,000 fine. Lewandowski was not required to admit guilt, and under the agreement, the charges would be dismissed once conditions were met.
Lewandowski remained an ally of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and at a Republican Association of Governors conference in Orlando, Florida, last November, he was spotted in the governor’s entourage. For a time, Noem herself was mentioned as a potential candidate for 2024, although top Republicans no longer consider her a likely candidate.
