Why Ohioan Vivek Ramaswamy lost his presidential bid and what comes next
Haley BeMiller
Ohioan Vivek Ramaswamy ended his presidential campaign on Monday night after placing fourth in the Iowa Caucuses.
Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-area native and suburban Columbus entrepreneur, was considered a long-shot from the beginning. But he attracted national attention for telling what he deemed the truth about the state of America, at times wading into conspiracy theories. He became a controversial figure on the debate stage for antagonizing his opponents.
Ramaswamy said Monday that he's endorsing former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary. Trump easily won the Iowa Caucuses, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley placed second and third.
"This entire campaign is about speaking the TRUTH," Ramaswamy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We did not achieve our goal tonight & we need an America-First patriot in the White House. The people spoke loud & clear about who they want."
Ramaswamy couldn't out-Trump Trump
Ramaswamy entered the race last year promising to out-Trump the former president, saying the "America first" agenda is bigger than one person. Despite that, he remained an ardent defender of Trump and recently pledged to withdraw his candidacy in states that removed Trump from the primary ballot.
That put Ramaswamy in Trump's good graces at first. But as the Iowa Caucuses approached, the former president lashed out at Ramaswamy on social media and accused him of "deceitful campaign tricks."
In the end, Iowa Republicans wanted Trump − not an alternative.
Money talks, to a point
Ramaswamy is independently wealthy and loaned his campaign $15.25 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings. That helped him stay afloat in an expensive race, with the campaign spending over $22 million as of October. (Campaign finance reports for the end of 2023 won't be out until later this month.)
His spending strategy appeared to flounder in the end. The campaign temporarily suspended TV advertising in December but resumed days before the caucuses, NBC News reported. Ramaswamy ultimately saw $4.2 million in Iowa ad support, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
What's next for Ramaswamy?
A spokeswoman said Ramaswamy's next steps are yet to be determined but: "If you know Vivek, you know it will be big whatever it is."
Speculation swirled throughout the campaign about whether Ramaswamy was angling for a cabinet position or vice presidential nomination. Speaking on Glenn Beck's podcast in August, Trump said Ramaswamy would be "very good" as a potential pick for vice president.
"He's a smart guy," Trump said. "He's a young guy. He's got a lot of talent. He's a very, very, very intelligent person. He's got good energy, and he could be in some form of something."
When asked in December whether he'd take a job in the Trump administration, Ramaswamy told Fox News he's "not a plan B person." But he said Monday that he'd be open to a different job.
"I'm not somebody who’s going to be able to speak anyone’s convictions but my own," he said. "So if that’s a role that I can perform from the vice presidency or any other one, I’m going to evaluate whatever is best for the future of this country. But my No. 1 commitment is to truth."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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