Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of US presidential race

The millionaire Republican, who calls himself a proud Hindu, ended his presidential bid on January 15 after a loss at the Iowa caucus, and will now endorse Donald Trump's campaign

By Pankti Mehta Kadakia Forbes India Staff

Published: Jan 16, 2024 04:48:26 PM IST

Updated: Jan 16, 2024 05:26:09 PM IST

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Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy greets voters during a visit to a caucus site at the Horizon Event Center on January 15, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. Iowans vote today in the state’s caucuses for the first contest in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating process. Image: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Two days before the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump wrote scathing posts on social network Truth Social, against one of his most vocal supporters:

Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy rose to prominence in political circles because of his conservative, extreme and ‘anti-woke’ activism. Forbes estimated his net worth to be $630 million, wealth that came from his financial and biotech businesses. He had received support from Elon Musk for his outspokenness and policy ideas. On January 15, he quit the race for the Republican White House nomination, after he placed fourth in the Iowa caucuses.

However, even after Trump’s attack, Ramaswamy immediately endorsed the former President for his 2024 campaign. In a press conference that was live-streamed on X (formerly Twitter), Ramaswamy acknowledged that the results didn’t go as he had hoped, and he would now offer Donald Trump his full support.

His X post read:

“This entire campaign is about speaking the TRUTH. We did not achieve our goal tonight & we need an America-First patriot in the White House. The people spoke loud & clear about who they want. Tonight I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Donald J. Trump and will do everything I can to make sure he is the next U.S. President. I am enormously proud of this team, this movement, and our country.”

Trump, in return, posted a screenshot of this tweet on Truth Social, adding, “Thank you Vivek, a Great Honor!.”

Several comments on Ramaswamy’s X post cheer a ‘Trump-Vivek’ campaign, suggesting that he might still have a shot at the vice presidency if Trump takes office.

Trump won the Iowa Republican caucus by a landslide, with 51 percent (56,260) votes. Ron DeSantis ranked next, with 21.2 percent (23,420 votes), followed by Nikki Haley at 19.1 percent (21,085 votes) at last count.

Haley, whose full name is Nimrata Nikki Haley, also hails from an Indian-American family. The former Republican governor from South Carolina is so far the only prominent woman in the Grand Old Party’s (GOP’s) presidential field, and the only woman of colour in the race. Haley positions herself as the result-oriented underdog who isn’t interested in being vice president. “I don’t run for second,” she says.

Unlike Ramaswamy, Haley has not pulled out of the race yet, and has not endorsed Trump either. “…Now it’s on to New Hampshire, where this campaign is the last best hope of stopping the Trump-Biden rematch that no one wants. We offer America a better choice,” she posted on X.