NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Columbus, OH, July 1, 2025: Republican Gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has denounced what he called the “race-obsessed fringe of the right,” after being grouped into a xenophobic tirade targeting Indian-origin American leaders.
Ramaswamy, who was born in Cincinnati and is of Indian descent, issued a strong response after white supremacist influencer Nick Fuentes posted on X, “When conservatives attack Zohran Mamdani for being a foreigner, I just want them to keep the same energy with Vivek Ramaswamy and Usha Vance. Let’s be consistent.”
Fuentes was referring to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, son of celebrated filmmakers Mira Nair and Usha Vance, wife of Vice President J.D. Vance. All three—Mamdani, Ramaswamy and Usha Vance—have Indian heritage.
Ramaswamy did not hold back in his response, writing on X, “It’s a shame to watch the race-obsessed fringe of the right try to outdo the race-obsessed woke left.” He went on to call out those on both ends of the political spectrum who, in his view, are fixated on race and identity instead of shared values.
The controversy that sparked Fuentes’ post centers around Mamdani, who recently faced online ridicule for eating rice with his hands in an old social media video. Critics seized on the clip to question his cultural background and “Americanness”.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R‑Texas, weighed in with a tweet declaring: “Civilized people in America don’t eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.”
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and raised in New York, called the backlash both racist and ignorant of cultural diversity.
