US presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, has suspended his 2024 Republican race, pledged to support Donald Trump, after his underdog campaign in the Republican Party’s initial nominating contest in Iowa Caucus failed to gain significant traction.
Ramaswamy announced the suspension of his presidential campaign on Monday, January 14, after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucus.
He said, “There is no path for me to be the next president. We are going to suspend this presidential campaign.
“I called Donald Trump to tell him I congratulate him on his victory. Now, going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency. And I think we’re going to do the right thing for this country. And so I’m going to ask you, to follow me in taking our America First movement to the next level,” Ramaswamy added.
Ramaswamy earned 7.7% of the vote with 95% of the ballots counted, according to the Associated Press. Donald Trump, the former president, emerged victorious with 51%, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailed behind in second place with 21.2% and Nikki Haley claimed the third spot with 19.1%.
Ramaswamy has previously called Trump the “best president of the 21st century” even as he tried to convince Republican voters that they should opt for “fresh legs” and “take our America First agenda to the next level.”
Born in Ohio to parents who immigrated from southern India, the 38-year-old Ramaswamy emerged as a noteworthy figure in the 2024 Republican race, which was largely dominated by former President Trump.
Ramaswamy is an Indian-American tech entrepreneur, a multimillionaire and former biotech executive, a Harvard graduate, rose to prominence in conservative circles following the publication of his 2021 bestseller “Woke, Inc”, which criticized corporate strategies centered on social justice and environmental issues. His aggressive approach in debates and focus on the media, particularly social platforms, initially generated buzz but eventually alienated some voters, resulting in a decline in interest by late autumn.
By the end of 2023, his standing in national polls among probable Republican primary voters had dwindled to the lower single digits
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