GOP Indian American Politicians React To Trump Questioning Kamala’s Identity

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – Vivek Ramaswamy has claimed that many Indian Americans in the US have been offended as Vice President Kamala Harris has “cast aside” her Indian identity.

Predictably, Ramaswamy, who is known to have wanted to be on Republican ticket as Vice President to nominee Donald Trump and has faithfully toed the Trump line, made his comments came after Trump went to a Black journalists’ event and launched a strong personal attack on his rival who is surging in the polls. He claimed that Harris had “all of a sudden, made a turn” in her identity and wanted to be known as black.

Speaking to Fox News, Ramaswamy said, “On a very personal level, my parents were immigrants to this country, legal immigrants from southern India, the very same part of India that her mother also immigrated from. I think it’s a hard fact, it’s just a fact whether you like it or not, that many Indian Americans in the United States are indeed somewhat offended by the way Kamala has suddenly cast aside the Indian American side of her identity.”

“She leaned into it when she ran for office in California, big Asian American and Indian American population. So, she wore that when it was convenient. She’s wearing a different identity now when it’s politically convenient on a national stage,” he added.

Niraj Antani who is a state senator representing the 6th district in the Ohio State Senate, also supported Trump’s claim:

Only last week, during an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN, Nikki Haley, also a presidential hopeful like Ramaswamy had admonished Republican attacks against Kamala Harris over her race, age, and gender.  It is “not helpful,” she said.

“There are so many issues we can talk about when it comes to Kamala Harris, that it doesn’t matter what she looks like. It matters what she said, what she’s fought for, and the lack of results that she’s had because of it.”  She has made no public comment on the latest broadside by Trump.

Meanwhile, Newsweek reported that while speaking to reporters Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, suggested that in his remarks, the former president was pointing out the “fundamental chameleon-like nature” of Harris. “What I question is why she presents a different posture depending on what audience she’s in front of. She’ll say one thing to one audience, another thing to another audience. She’ll say something totally different to another audience,” Vance said.

The vice presidential candidate who is married to Usha Vance, also of south Indian heritage, explained further, “All the president said is this is a person who switches identity like a normal person changes their clothes. And I think it’s totally proper to call that out.”