IOWA: Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American entrepreneur who dropped out of the 2024 Republican presidential race after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses, has endorsed former President Donald Trump and encouraged Republican voters to elect a “America First patriot” to the White House. Taking to social media platform X, Ramaswamy stated, “The entire campaign is about speaking the truth. We did not meet our goal tonight, and we need an America-first patriot in the White House. The people made it very clear who they wanted. Tonight I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Donald J. Trump and will do everything I can to make sure he is the next U.S. President.”
The 38-year-old political novice stated at a press conference in Des Moines, “There is no path for me to be the next president unless things that we don’t want to see happen in this country,” according to the Washington Post. “We did not achieve the surprise we wanted to deliver tonight,” Ramaswamy said in a statement. Ramaswamy finished fourth in Iowa, according to CNN News projections, far behind Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
The biotech entrepreneur has announced that he will join Trump at a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday evening. He also expressed his support for Trump, saying he is very proud of the team, the movement, and the country. “Earlier tonight, I called Donald Trump to extend my congratulations on his victory. And going forward, he will have my full support for the presidency,” Ramaswamy stated.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that a spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s presidential campaign expressed disappointment with the outcome and said the campaign is “digesting and determining” as it moves forward to the next stage. Donald Trump’s victory in the Iowa caucuses is regarded as the first step in his bid to win the Republican nomination for the third time in succession. Coincidentally, Trump lost the state election eight years ago.
In a speech from his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump congratulated his opponents, DeSantis and Haley, saying they “did very well.” He also complimented Vivek Ramaswamy on his “hell of a job,” CNN reported. “They are very smart, very capable people,” Trump said of his adversaries.
According to CNN’s most recent figures, after 96% of the results were released, Ramaswamy is expected to win only three of Iowa’s 40 delegates. Ramaswamy had been one of Trump’s staunchest supporters despite the four indictments leveled against him. He promised to remove himself from the ballots in Colorado and Maine after the former president was disqualified in those states. He even promised to absolve Trump of all charges on his first day in office.