Following his defeat at Monday’s Iowa Caucuses, Republican contender for president Vivek Ramaswamy has suspended his campaign and thrown his support behind former President Trump, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
In his opening statement, Ramsaswamy informed his followers that his campaign was “founded on speaking the truth—not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard.”
“It is true that we did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight,” Ramaswamy stated. “As of this moment, we are going to suspend this presidential campaign.”
“I congratulated Donald Trump on his victory over the phone earlier tonight. He later declared, “And from now on, he will have my complete support for the presidency.”
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With only around 8% of the vote among caucus attendees, Ramaswamy lagged behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who came in second and third respectively with about 20% of the vote, while Trump broke all previous records by receiving more than 50% of the vote.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former vice president Mike Pence, former governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, and other well-known Republicans were defeated by Ramaswamy, who had almost no name recognition when he entered the contest in February of last year.
Regaining America’s identity and his pledge to destroy the bureaucratic state by drastically reducing the size of the federal government were two of his main campaign platforms. In an effort to set himself apart from 77-year-old Trump, whom he had consistently referred to as the “greatest president” of his lifetime, the 38-year-old further stated that Republicans needed to choose a candidate with “fresh legs.”
Even though Ramaswamy didn’t win the Iowa caucuses, it wasn’t for lack of trying. During his campaign, he claimed to have made two “Full Grassley” visits, which entailed visiting each of Iowa’s 99 counties twice. Furthermore, he hosted more political events than any other contender in the Hawkeye State. The multimillionaire Ramaswamy paid for most of his own.
In the latter days of the campaign, Ramaswamy even seemed to be threatening Trump, as he attacked him on Truth Social a few days before the Iowa Caucuses.
After Trump’s attack, Vivek Ramaswamiy holds a “friendly fire” and declares, “I’m not going to criticize him.”
With the publication of his book “Woke, Inc.” in 2021, the biotech entrepreneur gained prominence in conservative circles by highlighting the ways that social justice and identity politics had negatively impacted corporations. However, he began to become well-known for his theatrical performances during the Republican debates, where he sparred with a number of establishment-friendly GOP contenders, most notably Haley, whom he had labeled as “corrupt” on a notepad he held up in a move that instantly went viral on social media.
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While other candidates were more hesitant to accept interviews, Ramaswamy rarely turned down a request to appear in the media, regardless of the size of the platform or how hostile the outlet. This may have contributed to his climb in the polls during 2023.
Ramaswamy, a young political outsider, gained widespread recognition for his ability to interact with antagonistic campaign goers who would challenge him on topics like abortion, climate change, and transgender problems. These interactions frequently went viral and established Ramaswamy as a skilled communicator. The right base also applauded him for his aggressive interactions with members of the traditional media.
Ramaswamy faced criticism for his unceasing support of Trump despite his legal troubles and lavished adulation on him during his campaign, to the point where some even suggested Ramaswamy was acting as a de facto surrogate for Trump during the election. He was accused of being a hypocrite on a number of matters, including his opinions on January 6. During the debates, Ramaswamy was also singled out by his Republican opponents for his views on foreign affairs.