Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Vivek Ramaswamy quits US presidential race, endorses Trump

Ramaswamy was one of the surprises of the 2024 Republican race

Vivek Ramaswamy quits US presidential race, endorses Trump

VIVEK RAMASWAMY, a multi-millionaire former biotech executive, ended his White House bid and endorsed Donald Trump after his longshot bid caught attention but failed to catapult him high enough in the Republican Party's first nominating contest in Iowa.

Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old born in Ohio to immigrant parents from southern India, was one of the surprises of the 2024 Republican race dominated by former President Trump.


A fierce defender of Trump throughout the campaign, Ramaswamy likely secured himself a spot in Republican politics going forward with his youthful demeanor, deep pockets and fast-talking, pugnacious campaigning.

However, Trump turned on him in the final days leading up to the Iowa caucus, calling him a "fraud" and asserting that a vote for Ramaswamy was a vote for the "other side."

Still, Ramaswamy endorsed Trump on Monday (15), saying Trump was an "America-first" candidate who would have his full support.

"There is no path for me to be the next president," Ramaswamy told supporters in Des Moines after partial results from the Iowa caucus showed him in fourth place with around 7.7 per cent of votes.

In his victory speech, Trump adopted a softer tone toward Ramaswamy. "I also want to congratulate Vivek, because he did a hell of a job," Trump said.

Harvard-educated Ramaswamy gained fame in right-wing circles thanks to his 2021 bestseller "Woke, Inc.," which decries decisions by some big companies to base business strategy around social justice and climate change concerns.

His combative debate performances and intense focus on media, especially social media, earned him headlines, but also put off some voters, and buzz around him ebbed in the autumn.

By the end of 2023, his national opinion polling numbers with likely Republican primary voters languished in the low single digits.

Ramaswamy's fellow Republican candidates often appeared irritated with the newcomer in debates, with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley telling him during one contentious encounter: "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber."

However, he gained some support, or at least interest, among libertarian crowds and the tech world. They included Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk, whom Ramaswamy confirmed had attended a fundraiser for him in the autumn.

Ramaswamy says he was a libertarian while studying but has staked out some deeply conservative policy positions.

On the campaign trail, he opposed affirmative action and supported state-level bans on abortion after six weeks and said he wanted to greatly expand the powers of the presidency and dismantle much of the federal government, including the FBI and the Department of Education.

Ramaswamy was also reflective of a growing isolationist movement in the Republican Party, once made up of staunch foreign policy hawks. He opposed NATO membership for Ukraine and said Kyiv should make concessions to Russia to end the war, including allowing it to retain parts of Ukraine it occupies.

(Reuters)

More For You

Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK  mini heatwave

Sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth

Getty

UK to see mini heatwave as temperatures climb towards 24 °c

The UK is set for a period of warmer weather in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise significantly across parts of the country. According to the Met Office, a spell of dry and sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth, although it will fall short of the threshold for an official heatwave.

Temperatures in south-eastern and central England could reach 23°c to 24°c by Tuesday, around 10C above the seasonal average for some areas. The Met Office described this as a “very warm spell” rather than a heatwave, though the contrast with recent cooler weather will be noticeable.

Keep ReadingShow less