DES MOINES, Iowa—Little more than half an hour after the Iowa caucuses began, the results thundered in: former President Donald J. Trump had notched a definitive victory.
One rival moved fast and broke up a once-ambitious campaign.
Despite months of strenuous campaigning, Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman, endured a distant fourth-place finish in the Hawkeye State.
Mr. Ramaswamy soon convened a press conference where he made two announcements: he was dropping out, and he was endorsing President Trump.
The very next day, Jan. 16, the entrepreneur and “anti-woke” investor joined President Trump at a rally in the Granite State, where he delivered a characteristically high-energy pitch for the top candidate….
