Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur turned political firebrand, is as soon as once more within the highlight—this time as a candidate for Ohio governor. It’s his third try at securing a high-profile political function in simply over a yr, following his failed 2024 presidential bid and a behind-the-scenes push for an appointment to JD Vance’s vacant Senate seat. However as he steps into this new battle, his marketing campaign carries a notable omission: his controversial and short-lived tenure as co-leader of the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), an initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk within the second Trump administration.Ramaswamy, who constructed his model on anti-woke capitalism and self-made success, now faces a special form of scrutiny—one which extends past coverage and into the unstated undercurrents of identification politics within the MAGA motion. He’s strolling a tightrope, endorsed by Trump but concurrently the topic of an unease inside sure corners of the MAGA ecosystem which have by no means absolutely embraced his unapologetically Hindu identification. And as current occasions present, his Indian-American heritage stays a degree of competition for some inside the motion.The DOGE Fiasco: A Energy Battle with Musk?
It’s telling that Ramaswamy, often one to boast about his accomplishments, prevented mentioning DOGE in his marketing campaign launch speech. For somebody who thrives on projecting success, sidestepping his high-profile appointment within the Trump administration indicators one thing deeper. His stint at DOGE lasted simply 69 days—hardly sufficient time to ship any main victories however definitely lengthy sufficient for tensions with Musk to boil over.The friction between the 2 males reportedly stemmed from each ideological and managerial variations. Musk, who has taken a radical method to authorities restructuring, allegedly grew annoyed with Ramaswamy’s choice for gradual, strategic cuts over the sweeping, quick reductions Musk envisioned. There was additionally Ramaswamy’s controversial stance on the American workforce—his criticism of American work tradition as fostering “mediocrity” clashed with MAGA’s base which took nice offence to his tweet.His exit from DOGE was met with little fanfare, and within the wake of his departure, this system continued with out him, solidifying Musk’s dominance inside the initiative. Now, as he makes an attempt to pivot to the Ohio governorship, Ramaswamy should take care of an inconvenient narrative: he was a part of a high-profile authorities reform challenge, however as a substitute of remodeling it, he left underneath unclear circumstances.The MAGA Litmus Check: Race, Faith, and the Shadow of NativismMAGA has lengthy prided itself on being a broad motion, welcoming those that align with its insurance policies no matter background. At the very least, that’s the official line. The truth, nevertheless, is much extra sophisticated, particularly for Indian-American figures like Ramaswamy, Sriram Krishnan, Kash Patel, and Usha Vance, all of whom have confronted various levels of resistance from the motion’s nativist wing.The Vivek Dilemma: Too MAGA for the Left, Too Indian for the Proper?
Ramaswamy has positioned himself as a staunch MAGA conservative, railing in opposition to woke ideology, championing deregulation, and touting his allegiance to Trump. However regardless of this, his presence within the motion has by no means been totally comfy for a few of its extra hardline supporters.Throughout his 2024 presidential marketing campaign, far-right commentator Ann Coulter made it clear she would by no means vote for Ramaswamy as a result of he was Indian. Different MAGA-aligned figures, significantly inside evangelical circles, have raised quiet objections to his unapologetic embrace of Hinduism. The backlash has at occasions been express. After Trump and Musk endorsed his gubernatorial bid, social media noticed a predictable storm of reactions, with some questioning whether or not an Indian-American may actually embody the “America First” philosophy. Whereas Trump’s endorsement could defend him from overt racism inside the motion, the skepticism from MAGA’s evangelical and nativist factions stays an unstated barrier.Sriram Krishnan: The Tech Bro MAGA Tolerates (For Now)
Sriram Krishnan, a Silicon Valley insider turned Trump AI advisor, has confronted his personal struggles with MAGA acceptance. Regardless of being instrumental in shaping Trump’s synthetic intelligence coverage, Krishnan has been focused by the motion’s anti-tech faction, with accusations that his immigration views undermine “America First.” His assist for eradicating nation caps on inexperienced playing cards—a transfer that will primarily profit Indian immigrants—has made him a lightning rod for criticism. The parallels with Ramaswamy are clear: each males are good, each are MAGA-aligned, and but each stay outsiders to a motion that sees them as symbols of globalization fairly than nationalism.Kash Patel: The Exception Kash Patel, a staunch Trump loyalist, has arguably fared higher than his fellow Indian-People in MAGA. A former nationwide safety official, Patel’s aggressive stance in opposition to the so-called deep state has made him a hero inside the motion. In contrast to Ramaswamy, Patel’s political survival technique has been to lean arduous into his function as a warrior in opposition to authorities corruption, avoiding discussions of identification which may make him a goal for nativist components. And but, Kash Patel greeted his mother and father by touching their toes, and altered Jai Shree Krishna at his listening to, which did not get any kind of MAGA backlash. Usha Vance: The Hindu “Downside”
Usha Vance, left, and first girl Melania Trump stand at Emancipation Corridor after the sixtieth Presidential Inauguration within the U.S. Capitol in Washington. AP/PTI(
Maybe the clearest instance of MAGA’s discomfort with Hindu figures is the backlash confronted by Usha Vance, the spouse of Vice President JD Vance. As a training Hindu, she has been subjected to outright racist assaults from some inside the motion. Throughout JD Vance’s inauguration, social media trolls mocked her religion, with feedback similar to, “Christ is King, not some smelly Indian idol.”This hostility extends past mere web trolling. There’s a actual, deep-seated discomfort amongst segments of MAGA’s evangelical wing towards Hinduism, which they view as pagan and incompatible with Christian nationalism. The identical forces that attacked Usha Vance are those that stay cautious of Ramaswamy, at the same time as he makes an attempt to show his MAGA credentials.Ohio 2026: The Highway Forward for RamaswamyWith Trump’s endorsement and Musk’s backing, Ramaswamy is positioned as a prime contender for Ohio governor. However his challenges are important:1. Electoral Viability – Ramaswamy’s a number of political pursuits in a brief span have given opponents ammunition to color him as opportunistic.2. DOGE Baggage – His failed tenure at DOGE, and his unwillingness to debate it, may turn into a legal responsibility in a state with a large federal workforce.3. The MAGA Litmus Check – Can he persuade Ohio’s Trump base to completely embrace him, regardless of the racial and non secular biases that persist inside sure factions of the motion?In the long run, Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial bid is greater than only a state-level race—it’s a referendum on how far MAGA is prepared to go in embracing non-white, non-Christian management. He could have Trump’s backing, however as historical past has proven, that alone doesn’t erase the deep cultural tensions simmering beneath the floor.
