Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has suspended his campaign and is throwing his support behind former President Trump after falling short at Monday’s Iowa Caucuses, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
Ramsaswamy kicked off his remarks by telling his supporters 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 said. “As of this moment, we are going to suspend this presidential campaign.”
“Earlier tonight, I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulate him on his victory. And now going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency,” he later said.
TRUMP WINS IOWA, FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PREDICTS DESANTIS WILL TAKE SECOND PLACE
Ramaswamy earned roughly 8% support among caucusgoers, trailing behind both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley finishing at second and third each at roughly 20% while Trump shattered contested caucus records earning more than 50% of the vote.
Ramaswamy, who entered the race in February of last year with virtually zero name recognition, outlasted several big-name Republicans including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence.
A big focus of his campaign was restoring America’s identity and his call to demolish the bureaucratic state by dramatically cutting the size of federal government. The 38-year-old also argued that Republicans needed to elect a candidate with “fresh legs” in an attempt to draw contrast between himself and 77-year-old Trump, who he had regularly declared the “greatest president” of his lifetime.
While the Iowa caucuses didn’t go his way, it wasn’t because Ramaswamy didn’t put the effort in. His campaign touted that he had completed the “Full Grassley” twice, meaning he had visited all of Iowa’s 99 counties at least two times. And he held more campaign events than any other candidate running in the Hawkeye State. Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire, largely funded his own campaign.
Even Trump himself appeared to be threatened by Ramaswamy in the late stages of the race, attacking him on Truth Social within days of the Iowa Caucuses.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY WITHHOLDS ‘FRIENDLY FIRE’ AFTER TRUMP ATTACK: ‘I’M NOT GOING TO CRITICIZE HIM’
The biotech entrepreneur began earning attention in conservative circles with the release of his 2021 book “Woke, Inc.,” which put a spotlight on how identity politics and social justice movements have plagued corporations. But he started becoming a household name for his bombastic performances at the Republican debates, sparring with several of the establishment-friendly GOP candidates, especially Haley, who he had branded as “corrupt” on a notepad he held up in what quickly became a meme on social media.
RAMASWAMY URGES SUPREME COURT TO OVERTURN COLORADO DECISION, FILES AMICUS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP
Ramaswamy’s rise in the polls throughout 2023 may be credited to his embrace of media appearances, rarely saying no to an invitation regardless of the size of the platform or how adversary the outlet, while other candidates were more cautious when it came to granting interviews.
The young political outsider was widely praised for how he would engage with hostile attendees at campaign events who would confront him on issues like abortion, climate change and trans issues, often becoming viral moments with Ramaswamy being heralded as an effective communicator. He was also cheered on by the conservative base for his combative exchanges with members of the legacy media.
Critics hit Ramaswamy for constantly defending Trump amid his legal woes and showering him with praise throughout his candidacy, so much so that Ramaswamy was accused of being a de facto Trump surrogate in the race. He faced accusations of being a flip-flopper on various issues like his views of Jan. 6. Ramaswamy was also heavily targeted by GOP rivals for his foreign policy positions during the debates.
Ramaswamy was frequently joined on the campaign trail by his surgeon wife Apoorva and their two young boys. He often spoke about how his Hindu faith was aligned with the values of Evangelical Christian voters in the state.
While his White House aspirations were cut short in 2024, many believe Ramaswamy has a long future in conservative politics, with some thinking he will land a spot in Trump’s cabinet and others predicting another presidential bid in the not too distant future.
