Indian-origin Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of 2024 US presidential race
Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out of the 2024 United States presidential race on Monday night (local time), according to NBC News. The announcement came after his poor performance in the Iowa caucuses. He later, reportedly, endorsed former President Donald Trump who emerged as the winner. Ramaswamy was considered the "most popular candidate" after Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in New Hampshire.
Didn't achieve surprise we wanted to deliver: Ramaswamy
Announcing his decision to quit the presidential race, Ramaswamy said, "I think it is true that we did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight." He then vowed to back Trump, his opponent. In the first Iowa Republican Presidential contest of 2024, Trump recorded a resounding win on Monday--the first for Republicans.
Ramaswamy's rise to prominence
Before running for president, Ramaswamy was relatively unknown. His popularity soared with frequent TV appearances, propelling him to third place in national surveys. According to The Guardian, Ramaswamy (38) withdrew from the contest after his campaign did not progress in the state (Iowa) where he invested a large sum of money and effort to gain support.
The breakout candidate
Ramaswamy was widely regarded as a hardliner on immigration issues. During his campaign, he promised that he would deport all unauthorized immigrants. The multimillionaire businessman proposed deploying the US military to Mexico to combat drug gangs and suggested reducing funding to Ukraine. He also said he would persuade the country to transfer much of east Ukraine to Russia.
Ramaswamy's immigrant origins
Born in Ohio to immigrant parents, Ramaswamy is a multimillionaire and a former biotech executive. He is also the founder of Roivant Sciences, currently valued at around $6.3 billion. Ramaswamy's parents reportedly immigrated to the US from southern India nearly four decades ago with limited resources. During his campaign, he expressed concern that the "American dream" may vanish for future generations without necessary actions.
Trump wins first Republican contest
Trump won Iowa's caucuses, the first voting event in the US 2024 presidential election. His victory strengthens his position as the likely Republican challenger to the Democrat candidate in the November elections. Major US networks pronounced Trump the winner in initial reports, with 75% of the early vote. To be sure, Iowa's delegate share of less than 2% does not guarantee widespread nomination victory.
