Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of 2024 race, backs Trump as ‘best president of 21st century’










Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and a political newcomer, announced on Monday that he was suspending his 2024 Republican presidential campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump. Ramaswamy made the decision after a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses, where he finished fourth behind Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Ramaswamy, who had tried to emulate Trump’s rise as a wealthy outsider with a populist message, said he called Trump earlier in the evening to congratulate him on his victory in Iowa and offer his full support. “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 told his supporters in Des Moines.

Ramaswamy also suggested that DeSantis and Haley should “follow suit” and drop out of the race, saying that Trump was the only candidate who could defeat President Joe Biden and his “radical agenda.” Ramaswamy said he would likely join Trump at a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday night and hinted that he would be open to being Trump’s running mate. “I’m not somebody who’s going to be able to speak anyone’s convictions but my own. So if that’s a role that I can perform from the vice presidency or any other one, I’m going to evaluate whatever is best for the future of this country,” he said.

Ramaswamy, who is the son of Indian immigrants, had launched his presidential bid in September 2023, promising to bring a “fresh perspective” and a “revolution” to the Republican Party. He had praised Trump as “the best president of the 21st century” but argued that the GOP needed “fresh legs” to take the America First agenda to the next level. He had also challenged some of the party’s orthodoxies, such as his opposition to foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine and his support for legalizing marijuana and ending the war on drugs.

However, Ramaswamy’s unconventional approach failed to gain traction among Republican voters, who remained loyal to Trump despite his legal troubles and controversies. Ramaswamy’s campaign also faced criticism for his lack of political experience and his involvement in several lawsuits and investigations related to his biotech ventures. Ramaswamy had defended his business record, saying that he was a “job creator” and a “problem solver” who had made hundreds of millions of dollars by developing innovative drugs and therapies.

Ramaswamy’s exit from the race leaves Trump with three major challengers: DeSantis, Haley, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Trump, who won the Iowa caucuses with 62% of the vote, is expected to win the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday and maintain his lead in the national polls. Trump has vowed to reclaim the White House from Biden, whom he has accused of stealing the 2020 election and destroying the country with his “socialist” policies.

[Sources]

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