Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy withdrew from the 2024 Republican presidential race Monday night, shortly after former President Donald Trump gave a victory speech after finishing strongly in first place in the Iowa caucuses. Supported Trump.
Ramaswamy, 38, told supporters in Des Moines: “We didn't get the surprise we wanted to deliver tonight.” “There is no way I can become the next president unless there are things I don't want to happen in this country.”
“And I think I'm very concerned about our country. I think we're skating on thin ice as a nation,” he added.
“This person has to be the America First candidate for the White House. As I've said from the beginning, there are two America First candidates,” Ramaswamy said, adding that he wants Trump to “win.” He revealed that he called to celebrate.
“So I'm asking you to follow me as I take our America First movement to the next level,” he told the crowd.
The Associated Press predicted that Trump, 77, would win the race just 30 minutes after caucus-goers entered polling stations to vote to decide the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. DeSantis, 45, came in a close second to the former president, followed by Haley, 51, in third place.
“The people of Iowa sent a clear message tonight that Donald Trump will be the next Republican presidential nominee. Now it's time to make him the next president of the United States,” said a spokesperson from Make America Great Again. Director Alex Pfeiffer said in a statement.
“Joe Biden's team just announced a huge war chest. Every dollar spent by President Trump's major losers is a dollar that could potentially take on Joe Biden. DC RINOs add cocktails to tonight's results Now that you're done drinking and crying, it's time for Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy to face reality and stop wasting their time and resources.”
But aside from Mr. Ramaswamy, many are hopeful that polls in other primary states and Mr. Trump's at least one criminal indictment could complicate the path for the Republican presidential nomination, and early Tuesday morning No other candidates were planning to withdraw at the time.
The candidates will compete in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina in the coming weeks, before heading to Michigan, Missouri and North Dakota in late February and early March.
DeSantis reassured supporters in West Des Moines that “we're in for the long game,” even though he has largely ignored campaigning in New Hampshire, the nation's first major state.
The Florida governor is scheduled to appear in South Carolina on Tuesday morning, where she will attempt to overhaul both Ms. Haley and Mr. Trump and achieve an unlikely victory.
Haley outperforms DeSantis among Granite State voters and is within single digits of the 45th president. In some polls.
She is expected to win even more voters after former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie withdrew from the race last week, and is aiming for an unexpected victory over the former president in New Hampshire.
When asked if he would consider running for President Trump's running mate, the former South Carolina governor has often said, “I'm not second choice.”
Ramaswamy had indicated before the announcement that he had no intention of canceling his campaign, calling the Iowa race unfair in recent social media posts. “Rigid” And Hailey's sudden rise in recent months has been… “Puppet Master”
Mr. Trump himself ramped up his attacks on Mr. Ramaswamy in the final days before the caucuses, dismissing the 38-year-old candidate for “playing too 'cute'” in his early Republican primary campaigning.
President Trump still faces two federal lawsuits for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election results and storing national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago mansion.
He was also indicted in Manhattan for allegedly committing business fraud by concealing “hush money” payments to two women before the 2016 election, and in an attempt to overturn Georgia's 2020 election. He was also charged with the crime.
The former president has also been excluded from primary ballots in Colorado and Maine, and the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal of the state's centennial ruling on February 8.
Ramaswamy said the indictment and efforts to remove Trump from the ballot were an attempt by the “establishment” to elevate Haley and narrow the race to a “two-horse race.”
“I have the utmost respect for President Trump. He is the best president of the 21st century. I have defended him every step of the way against unjust persecution.” Posted on Saturday by X.
“But open your eyes to the hard truth: This system will stop at nothing to keep this man out of the White House. Just because it's wrong doesn't mean it won't happen. We owe it to our nation to advance America First.”
A final party candidate is likely to emerge by Super Tuesday, the crowded primary election for the Republican nomination on March 5, around the same time Trump will appear in his first federal trial. It's planned.
