Ramaswamy Suspends Campaign After Lackluster Performance at Iowa Caucus

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced the suspension of his campaign on Monday after he did not perform up to his expectations at the Iowa GOP caucus.

Key Quotes: Ramaswamy told reporters, “I am a little surprised by what happened tonight. Maybe I shouldn’t have been, but I am… We did not achieve the surprise that we wanted in Iowa, and I think that’s just a hard fact we are going to have to accept.” He also told supporters, “There’s no path for me to be the next president absent things that we don’t want to see happen in this country.”

The Details: With 95% reported, Ramaswamy won 7.7% of the vote, landing him in fourth. In concession, he endorsed former President Donald Trump.

For Context: Ramaswamy has long been a vocal supporter of Trump. Despite previously saying he would not accept a vice presidential offer, Ramaswamy said if he could “speak” his own “convictions” in such a role, he would “evaluate” the prospect.

How The Media Covered It: Reuters (Center bias) said Ramaswamy reflected “a growing isolationist movement in the Republican Party, once made up of staunch foreign policy hawks.” Politico (Lean Left bias) and National Review (Lean Right bias) highlighted some of his more outsized claims. Politico said he drew attention by “leaning into conspiracy theories around 9/11 and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.” National Review mentioned his idea of arming all Taiwanese families.