Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman and entrepreneur, withdrew from the 2024 presidential race following a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses, where he finished fourth with 8% of the vote. He has since endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Ramaswamy’s campaign, which began in February 2023, initially gained traction among Republican voters with a platform closely aligned with Trump’s “America First” agenda. Despite positioning himself as a successor to the MAGA movement, Ramaswamy struggled to attract support away from Trump.
His campaign increasingly adopted a conspiratorial tone, warning of plots shaping the election and urging Trump supporters not to “waste” votes on Trump due to legal battles and potential ballot access issues. This approach, however, did not resonate sufficiently with the electorate.
Ramaswamy’s proposals included drastic measures such as shutting down several government agencies, securing U.S. borders with military force, and ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. He positioned himself as an antagonist to other Republican candidates, particularly former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, with whom he had several confrontations during debates.
Despite significant personal investment and extensive campaigning, including over 300 events in Iowa, Ramaswamy’s efforts fell short.