Vivek Ramaswamy Talks To MAGA About Pluralism And Who An American Is

India-West News Desk

CINCINNATI, OH – Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy has pointed to a deadly antisemitic attack overseas and simmering divisions within the US conservative movement to argue that religious freedom remains a core American value.

In a video posted online, Ramaswamy referenced the December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed, as he spoke about growing security concerns at places of worship around the world. He said the attack underscored why the United States must remain a country where people can practice their faith without fear.

“Whether it’s the Christian faith, the Jewish faith, the Hindu faith, whatever your faith is, you have in this country the unique opportunity to worship as you see fit,” Ramaswamy said, calling freedom from intimidation or violence central to the American identity.

We’re the nation that allows you to worship freely without fear. It’s part of the essence of who we are. pic.twitter.com/6kGliUPMHc

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 16, 2025

The message drew praise from supporters who welcomed his emphasis on religious liberty, but it also sparked sharp criticism online. Some detractors pushed back against his use of “we,” questioning his place in the national conversation and targeting his Indian American background. The reaction exposed deeper fault lines within conservative circles over immigration, identity and who gets to define American values.

Ramaswamy addressed those tensions more directly a day later in a New York Times op-ed, urging Republicans to draw a firm line against antisemitism and white nationalist rhetoric linked to activist Nick Fuentes and his followers. He wrote that individuals who praise Adolf Hitler or direct slurs at Jews, Indians or other ethnic groups have no place in the conservative movement.

The former GOP presidential candidate said he has himself been subjected to racial abuse online and warned that some Republicans are hesitant to confront what he described as a growing strain of identity politics on the right. While debates over issues such as US aid to Israel or immigration policy are legitimate, he argued, tolerating ethnic or religious hatred is not.

Taken together, Ramaswamy framed his comments as a defense of pluralism, saying America’s strength lies in its ability to allow people of all faiths to live and worship openly and safely. He warned that abandoning that principle would erode the country’s moral foundation and weaken what makes the nation distinct.