In the grand tradition of political aspirants learning the hard way that America’s heartland is not always fertile soil for long-shot presidential dreams, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has officially dropped out of the 2024 Republican race following a less than rhapsodic performance in the Iowa caucuses. With just under 8 percent of the vote, placing him fourth behind former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy decided to pull the plug before things got more awkward.
Ramaswamy made the announcement with all the buoyant pragmatism of a businessman reading quarterly losses, saying at a Des Moines watch party, “As of this moment we are going to suspend this presidential campaign.” He then turned to the original frontrunner, offering his enthusiastic support to Donald Trump, evidently deciding that if you cannot beat them you might as well endorse them publicly and hope they remember your name in the next administration.
Trump, ever gracious when handed a political gift horse and not known for checking its teeth, welcomed the endorsement during his own victory speech, calling Ramaswamy “a fantastic guy” who will hopefully be “with us for a long time.” It was not immediately clear whether “with us” meant inside the Cabinet or simply off the campaign trail.
The 38-year-old Ramaswamy burst onto the Republican scene promising to blow up a bloated federal bureaucracy and bring Silicon Valley disruption to Washington, though voters in Iowa appeared more intent on sticking with traditional programming. His strategy was a mix of early Trumpian zeal, youthful Silicon Valley polish, and open microphone debate performances that were either bravely unfiltered or just in need of a mute button, depending on whom you asked.
To his credit, Ramaswamy’s rise from political obscurity to a presence on the national stage in a matter of months is not without its dramatic flair. He reportedly poured over $20 million of his own money into the campaign, proving once and for all that if you want to light a pile of cash on fire in public, running for president is still one of the more theatrical options.
“This has to be an America-first candidate in that White House,” Ramaswamy said during his concession speech, echoing Trump’s signature slogan with the subtlety of a billboard. “Going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency.”
While the end of his campaign may be a disappointment to his supporters, Ramaswamy appears to be taking the long view, possibly angling for a role in Trump’s potential second term or simply ensuring he is first in line should another reality TV show need a chemist with a flair for policy.
The good news for Ramaswamy is that in American politics no one truly disappears; they just pivot to cable news segments, podcast guest appearances and very possibly a book with the words “America” and “Awakening” in the title.
Turns out, Iowa only loves an outsider if they have already lived in the White House.