Vivek Ramaswamy withdraws from Iowa caucuses and supports Trump in 2024

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has decided to drop out of the presidential race after performing poorly in the Iowa caucuses. He officially announced his departure and endorsed Donald Trump, stating that there is no viable path for him to become the next president without certain unfavorable events occurring in the country. Ramaswamy also revealed that he had spoken with Trump and intended to campaign for him. This development further reduces the number of candidates in the race, with the ex-president dominating the field. In the Iowa caucuses, Trump achieved a significant lead, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in second place and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in third. Ramaswamy, who finished in fourth place, became the only candidate to withdraw from the race following the Iowa vote. He expressed his commitment to promoting an "America first" candidate for the presidency and disclosed his plan to appear at a Trump campaign rally in New Hampshire soon. Ramaswamy emphasized his full endorsement of Trump and his belief that they will make the right choices for the country. He called on his supporters to join him in advancing the "America First" movement to the next level. Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants who studied at Harvard and Yale, entered the race after amassing wealth in the pharmaceutical industry. However, his campaign faced controversy due to its endorsement of conspiracy theories. Some of his proposed policies included ending birthright citizenship and affirmative action, and shutting down various government agencies such as the Education Department, FBI, and IRS. Ramaswamy positioned himself as an outsider willing to further the "America First" agenda established by former President Trump, but he struggled to draw substantial support away from Trump. Shortly before the Iowa caucus, Trump criticized Ramaswamy, labeling him as a "fraud" and warning Republicans that a vote for him would benefit the "other side." However, Trump had previously praised the Ohio-native, expressing admiration for him. Throughout his campaign, Ramaswamy staunchly defended Trump's record and continued to do so even after Trump's Pre-Iowa attack. He even offered to pardon Trump from any legal issues if he were to win the presidency.