Vivek Ramaswamy says Maine removal of Trump shows why Iowa Republicans should support him.

STUART, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy pledged Thursday night to withdraw his candidacy from any state that removes former president Donald Trump from its primary ballot.

His promise came shortly after Maine became the second state to bump the former president from its ballot, following Colorado's lead last week.

But while Ramaswamy tweeted his pledge just before starting a campaign event Thursday night in Stuart, his comments went a different direction before a bar full of people there. Asked why Republicans should support him rather than Trump, Ramaswamy brought up the Maine secretary of state's decision to remove Trump from the ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“They will not let this man (Trump) get anywhere near the White House again," he told the crowd. "Do not fall for their trap."

"You're just gonna see this continue and it's gonna happen in about a few months' time," he said.

If Trump's foes succeed in getting him removed, "then you're gonna get another puppet instead," he said. "We owe it to our movement and to this country to send somebody with fresh legs, somebody from the next generation to reach and lead this new generation of Americans."

Officials and courts in Maine and Colorado have removed Trump because of a provision in the 14th Amendment that prohibits officials who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution from holding office if they have engaged in insurrection.

The Michigan Supreme Court recently rejected a similar effort to bar Trump from the ballot in that state.

Ramaswamy said after the Colorado decision he would withdraw from the primary ballot there. On Thursday, he expanded that pledge on social media, saying it applies to any state that makes a similar decision to bar Trump.

He also again called on fellow candidates Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley to follow his lead — "or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal and brazen election interference in the GOP primary."

None, so far, have agreed to do so.

More: When are the 2024 Iowa Caucuses? Mark your calendar

Phillip Sitter focuses for the Des Moines Register on reporting on suburban growth and development in the western metro areas. Phillip also is helping cover Republican presidential campaigns, including that of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, ahead of the 2024 Iowa Caucus. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. He is on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @pslifeisabeauty.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ramaswamy expands pledge to remove himself from ballots after Trump removal