Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of 2024 race after Iowa caucuses, endorses Trump for US president

Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has quit the 2024 US Republican presidential campaign,hours after suffering a heavy defeat in the Iowa caucuses. Ramaswamy finished fourth in the race, mustering only eight per cent of votes. He endorsed frontrunner Donald Trump for another term at the White House.

The 38-year-old had made waves after joining the race as a relatively unknown face in February 2023. He quickly gained prominence among first-time and young voters by aligning his campaign to that of former president Donald Trump.

"It is true that we did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight. As of this moment, we are going to suspend this presidential campaign," Ramaswamy told his supporters.

Ramaswamy called Trump to congratulate him on his victory and endorsed his candidature as well.

"There needs to be an America First candidate in this race.Going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency," Ramaswamy said, adding that he will attend the New Hampshire rally alongside Trump.

Ramaswamy had high hopes from Iowa as he held the most public events out of all his GOP rivals. He hit all 99 counties in the state twice and created an elaborate social media campaign to enter the big leagues.

How Ramaswamy's campaign came to a halt

Ramaswamy, a US citizen born and raised inCincinnati, Ohio, had put his hat in the ring to secure a nomination from the Republican party. He was up against former president Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence and other heavyweights.

Known for his outspoken views against woke culture, Ramaswamy became a familiar face on news shows, engaging in debates across a spectrum of political perspectives.

While he gained attention as an "interesting candidate" in the US media, characterised as "intelligent, highly unconventional, and less like any of the others," Ramaswamy also faced sharp criticism from political rivals and commentators.

Watch |Vivek Ramaswamy: I want to revive our nation's patriotism and pride

A section of Republicans also accused him of being an outsider who had been propped up by the opponents to derail the campaigns of other established players. During the first presidential debate, Chris Christie mockingly referred to him as an AI app and accused him ofborrowing Obama's line about his name.

Nikki Haley, who came third in Iowa causes behind Trump and Ron DeSantis, criticised Ramaswamy for his perceived lack of foreign policy experience while labellinghim "scum" for discussing her daughter's TikTok usage.

(With inputs from agencies)