Entrepreneur Ramaswamy drops out of White House race, endorses Trump
Send a link to a friend
[January 16, 2024]
By Alexandra Ulmer
(Reuters) -Vivek Ramaswamy, a multi-millionaire former biotech
executive, ended his White House bid on Monday and endorsed Donald Trump
after his longshot bid caught attention but failed to catapult him high
enough in the Republican Party's first nominating contest in Iowa.
Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old born in Ohio to immigrant parents from southern
India, was one of the surprises of the 2024 Republican race dominated by
former President Trump.
A fierce defender of Trump throughout the campaign, Ramaswamy likely
secured himself a spot in Republican politics going forward with his
youthful demeanor, deep pockets and fast-talking, pugnacious
campaigning.
However, Trump turned on him in the final days leading up to the Iowa
caucus, calling him a "fraud" and asserting that a vote for Ramaswamy
was a vote for the "other side."
Still, Ramaswamy endorsed Trump on Monday, saying Trump was an
"America-first" candidate who would have his full support.
"There is no path for me to be the next president," Ramaswamy told
supporters in Des Moines after partial results from the Iowa caucus
showed him in fourth place with around 7.7% of votes.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jan/16/images/ads/current/ldn_booksda_CHASSKAREN_010924.png)
In his victory speech, Trump adopted a softer tone toward Ramaswamy. "I
also want to congratulate Vivek, because he did a hell of a job," Trump
said.
Harvard-educated Ramaswamy gained fame in right-wing circles thanks to
his 2021 bestseller "Woke, Inc.," which decries decisions by some big
companies to base business strategy around social justice and climate
change concerns.
His combative debate performances and intense focus on media, especially
social media, earned him headlines, but also put off some voters, and
buzz around him ebbed in the autumn.
By the end of 2023, his national opinion polling numbers with likely
Republican primary voters languished in the low single digits.
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/011624PIX/news_q10.jpg)
Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy
speaks to the media at his Iowa caucus night watch party after
suspending his campaign and endorsing former U.S. President Donald
Trump in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. January 15, 2024. REUTERS/Sergio
Flores
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jan/16/images/ads/current/atlantabank_lda_LUAL_2023.png)
Ramaswamy's fellow Republican candidates often appeared irritated
with the newcomer in debates, with former South Carolina Governor
Nikki Haley telling him during one contentious encounter: "Every
time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber."
However, he gained some support, or at least interest, among
libertarian crowds and the tech world. They included Tesla Inc.
Chief Executive Elon Musk, whom Ramaswamy confirmed to Reuters had
attended a fundraiser for him in the autumn.
Ramaswamy says he was a libertarian while studying but has staked
out some deeply conservative policy positions.
On the campaign trail, he opposed affirmative action and supported
state-level bans on abortion after six weeks and said he wanted to
greatly expand the powers of the presidency and dismantle much of
the federal government, including the FBI and the Department of
Education.
Ramaswamy was also reflective of a growing isolationist movement in
the Republican Party, once made up of staunch foreign policy hawks.
He opposed NATO membership for Ukraine and said Kyiv should make
concessions to Russia to end the war, including allowing it to
retain parts of Ukraine it occupies.
(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Ross Colvin, Deepa
Babington and Daniel Wallis)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jan/16/images/ads/current/charrons_bch_2022.png) |