The Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked a debate among his Maga supporters after he defended Indians and gave his take on American identity while delivering a speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate
Vivek Ramaswamy sparked a debate among his Maga supporters after he defended Indians and gave his take on American identity on Friday, while delivering a speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona. In his address, the Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur urged Conservatives to embrace ideals over lineage.
He went on to reject what he called the race and identity-obsessed vision of the “woke left” and certain quarters of the “online right” that tend to link it to American identity. “I think the idea of a heritage American is about as loony as anything the woke left has actually put up,” he said at Turning Point’s conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
“There is no American who is more American than somebody else. … It is binary. Either you’re an American, or you’re not,” he added. The conservative entrepreneur-turned politician said belief in the ideals of 1776, rather than ancestry, made someone an American, describing himself as the proud son of “legal immigrants.”
“There is no American who is more American than somebody else”
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called out some on the far right at AMFest, challenging conservatives to embrace American ideals rather than focus on racial identity: “You’re American or you aren’t.” pic.twitter.com/NVeh6mraeO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 20, 2025
Ramaswamy explains what it means to be an American
In his speech, Ramaswamy gave his definition of what it means to be an American. “What does it mean to be an American in the year 2026? It means we believe in those ideals of 1776. It means we believe in merit, that the best person gets the job regardless of their skin colour. It means we believe in free speech and open debate. Even for those who disagree with us, from Nick Fuentes to Jimmy Kimmel, you get to speak your mind in the open without the government censoring you,” he said.
Linking far-left and far-right figures, he said there was no room in the conservative movement for progressives who believed in racial quotas or for those who rationalise hatred toward groups of people. He went on to specifically call out far-right White nationalist Nick Fuentes for anti-Indian remarks and urged attendees not to adopt a victim mentality.
“Victimhood culture from the left to the right will be the ruin of this country,” he said. In a separate post on X, Ramaswamy pointed to anti-India comments. “If you believe in normalising hate towards whites, blacks, Indians, or Jews, you have no place in this movement,” he wrote in the post. Ramaswamy said those who support trans athletes competing in sports consistent with their gender identity, advocate for affirmative action policies, or promote hatred toward any racial or ethnic groups lack “have no place in this movement.”
The Republican politician also rejected the idea of admiring controversial historical figures like Hitler and Stalin. “If you believe in normalising hate towards whites, blacks, Indians, or Jews, you have no place in this movement. If you believe Hitler was cool, you have no place in this movement. If you believe Stalin should be admired, you have no place in this movement. If you call Usha Vance a ‘jeet,’ you have no place in this movement,” he concluded. While many lauded Ramaswamy for his inclusive take on American Identity, several Maga supporters online took a harsher stance, reflecting the severe divide within the movement.
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