Vivek Ramaswamy Suspends 2024 Presidential Campaign, Pledges Support to Trump

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has suspended his 2024 campaign, citing an underwhelming performance in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses. After finishing fourth, the biotech entrepreneur acknowledged the impracticality of advancing in the race without undesired events occurring in the country.

Ramaswamy, who sought to emulate Donald Trump’s political success as an outsider, made the announcement and extended his support to the former president. Following a phone call to Trump, he congratulated him on his victory in Iowa and declared, “Trump will have my full support for the presidency.” Ramaswamy urged his followers to contribute to elevating the America First movement to the next level.

Despite suspending his campaign, Ramaswamy expressed openness to a vice-presidential nomination, emphasizing his commitment to truth and dedication to the country’s future. This development reinforces Trump’s influence within the Republican party, positioning him as the leading contender for the GOP nomination for the third consecutive time.

Trump had publicly criticized Ramaswamy’s campaign tactics, labelling them as deceitful. Ramaswamy’s confrontational debate style and aggressive tactics faced scrutiny, with GOP strategist Scott Jennings noting a lack of personal warmth and humour compared to Trump. In January, Ramaswamy had expressed his intent to withdraw from the race in Maine and Colorado after Trump’s disqualification in those states due to the Capitol storm events on Jan. 6, 2021.

Leading figures like Elon Musk and Iowa Rep. Steven Holt had previously predicted that Ramaswamy could outperform polls despite trailing behind Trump and other candidates. The unexpected suspension of Ramaswamy’s campaign further solidifies Trump’s dominance within the Republican party and positions him as the frontrunner for the GOP nomination.