At Thanksgiving event, Vivek Ramaswamy speaks about losing first child in miscarriage

HE is known for his fiery rhetoric on stages of debate and during interviews but Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate running for the president's office next year, also has an emotional side and it was seen during a Thanksgiving family talk session, The Family Leader forum, in Des Moines, Iowa.

The entrepreneur of Indian origin held back his tears while sharing the experience of losing his first child in miscarriage.

The 38-year-old politician said he had planned his first child with wife Apoorva, a throat surgeon who he had married in 2015, as they wanted to become parents after she completed her residency. They were also writing a journal to their yet-to-born child. But a shattering consequence awaited them as after a few months, Apoorva had the miscarriage. They still went for the second pregnancy and despite the challenges, they overcame it together.

The Ramaswamys are now parents to two sons -- Karthik and Arjun.

The GOP politician then gestured for this three-year-old son to join him on the stage where Ramaswamy's rival Nikki Haley, with whom he had some fierce debates, was also present. Apoorva was not present on the occasion.

Former US president Donald Trump, who is also running for the White House, did not attend the event despite being invited.

Republican presidential aspirants aiming to emerge as the party's alternative to Trump sat together for a friendly conversation on Friday. Florida governor Ron DeSantis was also present.

Haley also spoke about the difficulty she faced about pregnancy. Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who anchored the event, asked her to address her position on abortion which seeks a consensus.

She said she is unapologetically pro-life and added that a federal abortion bill is not possible as it would not get enough support and the focus should remain on saving as many lives as possible, CBS News reported.