COLUMBUS, Ohio — Vivek Ramaswamy has dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The biotech entrepreneur has announced he is endorsing former President Donald Trump. Ramaswamy, 38, made the announcement after finishing in fourth place in the Iowa Caucuses on Monday.
What You Need To Know
- Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, dropped his Republican presidential bid after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses on Monday
- Ramaswamy has publicly announced his support for former President Donald Trump
- His policy proposals were very similar to former President Trump's agenda
“I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulate him on his victory,” said former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. “And now, going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency. I think we’re going to do the right thing for this country. And so I’m going to ask you to follow me in taking our America first movement to the next level.”
Ramaswamy’s policy proposals called for more security on the southern border, along with a pledge to shut down some government agencies, such as the FBI and Department of Education. He also called for an end to end birthright citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
“At no point did Vivek Ramaswamy ever have a chance at the nomination,” said Justin Buchler, political science professor at Case Western Reserve University. “He did get attention, and that may mean that he has some sort of future in the Republican Party.”
“Trump will bash his competitors until they submit to his will,” said David Cohen, political science professor at The University of Akron. “And then once they get out and endorse him, then Trump will welcome their support. I would not be surprised to see Vivek, one of Trump’s next rallies, you know, on stage with him.”
Ramaswamy took to X to announce plans to join Trump in New Hampshire on January 16.
“What happens next for Ramaswamy is he is probably angling for some sort of position from Trump, Buchler said. “It looked like that from the beginning. Whether that is as a running mate or some sort of position in the administration.”
Political scientist David Cohen believes if Republican primary opponents Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis don’t have a better performance, then the pressure is on for them to drop out.
“Trump got 51% between Haley and DeSantis,” Cohen said. “They got 40%. That’s pretty close. If one of them decides to drop out and throw their support behind the other, the remaining candidate might have a possible opportunity to attract the anti-Trump vote. But at this point, you know, Trump has the upper hand.”