Ramaswamy calls on Nikki Haley & Ron DeSantis to drop out of 2024 GOP presidential race, endorse Trump
After finishing fourth in the Iowa caucus, Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy called on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to drop out of 2024 Republican presidential race and endorse Donald Trump.
Ramaswamy’s remarks come after he joined ex-US president Trump at New Hampshire rally to encourage voters to support him.
“[The GOP electorate] sent a positive message to all of us that Donald Trump needs to be the nominee of this party, and I think Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley would actually at this point do this country and this party a service by stepping aside,” he said while speaking to Fox News.
When pressed by Fox host James Watters if he is calling on Haley and DeSantis to drop out right now, Ramaswamy asserted, “I am, and I think that would be healthy for this country.”
“Especially Ron DeSantis, of the two of them, will have an important role to play in the future of this country and leading this nation. I believe that,” he added.
Ramaswamy withdrew from the 2024 GOP presidential race and endorsed Trump following a lackluster performance in Monday’s Iowa caucuses.
Trump welcomes ‘true leader’ Ramaswamy on stage in New Hampshire
Lauding Ramaswamy as a “true leader” with “tremendous ideas”, Trump welcomed him at a campaign event in Atkinson, New Hampshire. He stressed on their friendly ties despite competing against each other.
“Last night, I was honoured to receive the endorsement of a man who has become a true leader and earned the admiration of so many patriots. I’ve been a friend of his, even though we were competing against each other, and we got along. And he was saying, he’s a great president. I kept saying, why is he running? He keeps calling me a great president, but he’s a fantastic guy, a very smart guy,” the ex-US president said.
Ramaswamy thanked Trump and acknowledged him as a “great president” with a “bright future.”
Despite the fact that Trump and Ramaswamy were contesting against each other in the race, the 38-year-old has earlier voiced his support for the former President. He had even appealed to the other GOP contenders to promise that they would pardon Trump for federal charges he faces in handling confidential documents after leaving the White House.
In Iowa, Ramaswamy’s performance was disappointing as he received support in the single digits. With 51 percent of the vote, Trump won by nearly 30 percentage points, and DeSantis secured second place with 21.2 percent and Haley came third with 19.1 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ.