Republican presidential candidateVivek Ramaswamyannounced he is suspending his 2024 presidential campaign on Monday after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses.
Ramaswamy earned 7.7% of the vote, with 95% of the ballots counted, reports theAssociated Press. Former presidentDonald Trumpwon with 51%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finishing a distant second with 21.2%.Nikki Haleycame in third with 19.1%.
As the results came in, Ramaswamy said he called Trump to congratulate him, reportsNBC News. He plans to attend a rally with Trump in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
“There needs to be an America First candidate in this race,” Ramaswamy said in Des Moines. “Going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency.”
The 38-year-old tech entrepreneurfirst entered the racein February 2023, announcing his decision during an appearance onTucker Carlson Tonightand in a subsequentWall Street Journaleditorial.
“To put America first, we need to rediscover what America is. That’s why I am running for president,” Ramaswamy wrote in his op-ed. “I am launching not only a political campaign but a cultural movement to create a new American Dream — one that is not only about money but about the unapologetic pursuit of excellence.”
Vivek Ramaswamy.Drew Angerer/Getty
Drew Angerer/Getty
In the months since, Ramaswamy has garnered headlines for being outspoken against companies using their platforms for social causes and has criticized things like critical race theory, self-victimization and efforts to stop climate change.
Ramaswamy has criticized also diversity programs in America, claiming that they only emphasize people’s differences.
Vivek Ramaswamy in June 2023.Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
The Ohio native hasfounded many multibillion-dollar tech and health care companiesafter graduating summa cum laude from Harvard and receiving a law degree from Yale, according to his biography page on Strive.com.
Strive Asset Management, Ramaswamy’s “anti-activism fund company,” announced in September that it was managing more than$1 billion in assets, a milestone that came as two of the company’s former employees had just sued the candidate and hisco-founder, accusing them of mistreating staff andpressuring them to violate securities law.
While new to the political arena, Ramaswamy made headlines throughout his campaign for sparring with Haley.
During one primary debate, Ramaswamy called out Haley for letting her 25-year-old daughterRenause TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned social media platform that has become ahot-button issuein the Republican Party over national security concerns, to which the former South Carolina governor replied, “You’re just scum.”
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source: people.com
