Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, a first-time political candidate, has ended his bid for the 2024 presidency following a lackluster performance in the Iowa caucuses, subsequently endorsing former President Donald Trump.
Ramaswamy, 38, placed fourth in the Iowa race, as reported by The Washington Post, trailing significantly behind Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. With over 90% of precincts reporting, Ramaswamy secured only 8% of the GOP caucus vote.
After the results, Ramaswamy reached out to Trump, congratulating him on his victory, and announced his plans to join him at a rally in New Hampshire. He expressed his commitment to the ‘America First’ vision, stating that Trump will have his complete endorsement.
Entering the race in February 2023, Ramaswamy was relatively unknown but gained traction among Republican voters with his campaign, which echoed Trump’s tone and policy priorities. He sought to present himself as a successor to the MAGA movement. However, his efforts to draw support from Trump’s base proved unsuccessful, as the former president maintained a strong hold on Republican loyalty.
Ramaswamy’s campaign strategy, particularly in the days leading up to the Iowa caucuses, took on a more conspiratorial tone. He urged supporters to be wary of alleged plots and external forces influencing the election and argued that voting for Trump would be ineffective due to legal challenges and efforts to block him from the ballot.
His campaign faced a significant setback when Trump directly criticized Ramaswamy on Truth Social, addressing his previous comments describing Trump as “wounded” and accusing him of using deceptive campaign tactics despite initially praising Trump at the start of his campaign.
