Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed former President Donald Trump after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses on Monday.
Ramaswamy’s announcement has led to a flood of reactions online, including celebration, dismay, and, of course, memes.
Critics of the former candidate relished in his removal from the race, noting that his effort of vigorous campaigning did little to help his cause.
“LMAOOOO, Vivek Ramaswamy went to all 99 counties in Iowa TWICE, and finished in a distant last place,” one user said.
Those with favorable views of Ramaswamy instead saw the failure as only the beginning. Podcaster Tim Pool argued that the entrepreneur could reemerge in 2028 and succesfully win the presidency.
“This is why we like Vivek,” Pool said. “Hard working, smart, passionate This guy is on track for 2028 and could lead a movement.”
Others online agreed.
One user even shared a video tribute to Ramaswamy set to the depressingly melancholy Nirvana song Something In The Way that became popular as part of the The Batman soundtrack
“Vivek Ramaswamy…gone but not forgotten,” the user wrote.
Billionaire Elon Musk was even dragged into the discussion after users noted that he had repeatedly claimed that Ramaswamy would become president.
“You could make money betting on the opposite of what this guy thinks outcomes will be,” 90s rock band Eve6 said of Musk. “He’s like some kind of reverse soothsayer.”
Ramaswamy’s disappointing showing comes after Trump trashed him on Truth Social before the caucus, which he laughed off.
Some compared Ramaswamy’s swift Trump endorsement to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who ran against Trump then phone banked for him after losing.
Much attention was also given to a particular Iowa voter who reportedly argued that they opposed Ramaswamy because he reminded them of 9/11.
“I’m not being prejudiced, guys, but I don’t like his last name,” the voter allegedly said. “I don’t like where he came from. After 9/11, I still harbor a lot of hard feelings.”
Ramaswamy is of Indian descent. No Indians were involved in the 9/11 attack.
Ramaswamy probably didn’t help his cause by invoking 9/11 and calling it a conspiracy on the campaign trail.
While a flop for Ramaswamy, the caucus was a resounding win for the former president.
Trump supporters were unsurprisingly ecstatic at the results given that their candidate earned an impressive 51% of the vote, with the race being called almost immediately.
Although Ramaswamy came in dead last and only earned 8%, his fellow contenders did not fare well either.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) came in second but only managed to grab 21% of the vote. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley came in third with just 19%.
