Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy dropped his presidential bid after he earned less than 8% of the Iowa caucus vote. He also announced he would endorse Trump鈥檚 campaign to continue the 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy strategy, according to the .
The loss in Iowa follows months of Ramaswamy鈥檚 campaign in which he had traveled to all 99 counties in Iowa twice.
On the other hand, former President Donald Trump, who beat runner-up Gov. Ron DeSantis by a margin of nearly 30% according to the , arrived in Iowa Jan. 13 and canceled multiple rallies.
Local reporter Ty Rushing from Iowa Starting Line said other candidates did not have a chance against Trump in the caucuses because of Trump鈥檚 鈥渃ult personality鈥� and celebrity presence among his supporters.
鈥淗ow many of the supporters do you see at other rallies wearing merchandise with the candidate鈥檚 face?鈥� Rushing said.
While Ramaswamy鈥檚 rally the day before the caucus did not yield Trump鈥檚 magnitude of signed baseball caps and patriotic streamers, it did bring in a crowd.
A few minutes to noon Jan. 14, people of all ages crammed into Sweet Caroline鈥檚 Kitchen and Cocktails in Ames, Iowa. The street outside was deserted. In weather nearly 40 degrees below freezing, it is unlikely that there were accidental attendees at one of Ramaswamy鈥檚 final rallies to secure the caucus vote.
At 21-years-old, Charles Nadine is Ramaswamy鈥檚 Regional Politics Director for the midwest, traveling with Ramaswamy across all 99 counties ahead of the Iowa caucus Jan. 15. Nadine is not alone as a twenty-something on the campaign trail. Unlike other candidates, he said Ramaswamy鈥檚 team is mostly people in their early or mid-twenties.
鈥淗e did attract a young crowd,鈥� Nadine said. 鈥淪taff, a lot of times that鈥檚 not something you get to pick. It鈥檚 who comes to you.鈥�
Nadine was one of the team members setting up for the event: placing brochures in front of each seat that were printed with a sepia coloring, faux creases and brazen font like mini Constitutions, hanging an all-white banner behind Ramaswamy鈥檚 standing mark with the word 鈥淭RUTH鈥� stretching across in black ink.
Ramaswamy鈥檚 mantra became clear about halfway through his speech as he discussed the value of transparency in historical crises.
鈥淲e stand for the truth,鈥� Ramaswamy said. 鈥淭hat is what won us the American Revolution. And the Civil War. And the World Wars and the Cold War.鈥�
Ramaswamy鈥檚 speech was structured around his 10 Truths and the 鈥淎merica First 2.0鈥� plan as they are printed in the brochure. He said he would drain the swamp, which will result in firing 75% of federal bureaucrats. He said he would pardon every protester who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection against the White House in 2021. Moreover, he said he would secure the border and ensure that illegal immigrants whose children are born in the U.S. will not be granted citizenship, citing the Fourteenth Amendment.
Above all, Ramaswamy said he would support the U.S. Constitution as the 鈥渟trongest guarantor of freedoms in history,鈥� as stated in his brochure.
鈥淭homas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay,鈥� Ramaswamy said. 鈥淭homas Jefferson, Thomas Paine. Would they say they鈥檙e proud of the way we鈥檙e running our country, or would they say they鈥檙e appalled?鈥�
At this point, some brochures had fallen to the floor or were being used as placemats for the attendees鈥� complimentary barbecue chicken wings. Ramaswamy did not let up on historical nostalgia. He went on to affirm that 鈥渨e live in 1776 right now,鈥� and that with his leadership, 鈥渢he founding fathers will no longer be rolling over in their graves.鈥�
Ramaswamy鈥檚 half-hour speech 鈥渟ealed the deal鈥� for 33-year-old Iowan Steve Long, because he said no one has worked harder than Ramaswamy to win the popular vote.
However, father and son Greg and Hunter Krichell said while they agreed with Ramaswamy鈥檚 points, they plan to vote for Trump. Greg Krichell said it would be a 鈥渨asted vote鈥� for the other candidates who were nearly 30 points behind in the polls according to a prediction by the Jan. 13.
Regardless of his faith in his Iowan supporters, Ramaswamy is out of the race. All eyes are on DeSantis and Haley as they head into the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, vying to be the candidate that will dethrone Trump.
