Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his 2024 Republican presidential bid, endorses rival Donald Trump

The 38-year-old political novice, who sought to replicate Trump’s rise as a bombastic, wealthy outsider, said he called the former president earlier on Monday evening to congratulate him on his victory in Iowa. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second, with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley just behind in third.

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Monday and endorsed former President Donald Trump after finishing a disappointing fourth in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses.

Mr. Ramaswamy said he made the decision after determining there was no path forward for him in the race, "absent things that we don’t want to see happen in this country.”

The 38-year-old political novice, who sought to replicate Trump’s rise as a bombastic, wealthy outsider, said he called the former president earlier Monday evening to congratulate him on his victory in Iowa. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second, with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley just behind in third.

“Now, going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency. And I think we’re going to do the right thing for this country. And so I’m going to ask you, to follow me in taking our America First movement to the next level,” Mr. Ramaswamy said.

During the campaign, Mr. Ramaswamy needled his opponents but praised Mr. Trump as “the best president of the 21st century.” He argued, though, that Republicans should opt for “fresh legs” and “take our America First agenda to the next level.”

The approach, including his call for “revolution,” vaulted Mr. Ramaswamy into the mix of candidates vying to overtake Trump — or at least become a viable alternative. His decision to drop out, though, becomes the latest confirmation that the former president, even at 77 years old and under multiple criminal indictments, still dominates Republican politics and remains the overwhelming favorite to win the GOP nomination for the third consecutive time.

Mr. Ramaswamy’s failure also affirms how difficult it is for any Republican other than Mr. Trump to push the bounds of party orthodoxy, as the first-time candidate found little political reward for positions such as his opposition to aid for Israel and Ukraine.