Vivek Ramaswamy stops running for the US presidency and supports Donald Trump.

January 16, 2024

Vivek Ramaswamy is a well-known entrepreneur and author who recently made headlines by announcing his candidacy for the US presidency. However, he recently decided to suspend his presidential campaign and instead support former President Donald Trump. This surprising move has led to speculation and raised questions about his reasons for switching his political allegiance so dramatically.

Ramaswamy was the youngest Republican candidate in the race at 38 years old. He launched his campaign in February 2023, after gaining popularity as a New York Times best-selling author for his book, Woke Inc. The book argued against corporate America's involvement in social justice initiatives.

According to NBC News, Ramaswamy finished fourth in Iowa, far behind Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Edison Research projected that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis finished second, edging out former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley as they both vie to become the main alternative to Trump.

With almost 90% of the anticipated votes counted, Trump was leading with 50.9%, whereas DeSantis had secured 21.4% and Haley had 19.0%, according to Edison. Until then, the largest winning margin for an Iowa Republican caucus had been 12.8 percentage points, which was achieved by Bob Dole in 1988.

It was too early to predict whether Trump would surpass the 50% mark, a significant figure that would weaken the argument of his opponents who claimed that his nomination could be halted.

Ramaswamy spoke to reporters after his speech and expressed surprise at his performance. He had hoped to attract more first-time caucusgoers and had not predicted that he would be dropping out. Nevertheless, he vouched for Trump, saying that they would work to ensure that he becomes the next President, despite the former President's recent scathing remark.

He made several promises during his campaign, including the end of birthright citizenship and affirmative action, as well as the closure of government agencies such as the Education Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service.

He presented himself as an outsider who would continue former President Trump's "America First" agenda with his own twist. However, his campaign failed to gain much support from Mr. Trump's supporters. Just before the Iowa caucus, Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Ramaswamy, calling him a "fraud" and telling Republicans that voting for him would be equivalent to supporting "the other side".

It's essential to note that political endorsements and alliances can be driven by a combination of personal convictions, policy agreements, and strategic considerations. Vivek Ramaswamy's decision to withdraw from the presidential race and support Donald Trump is undoubtedly a significant development in the political landscape.