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Indian-origin MAGA ally’s racist remark on Ramaswamy sparks row
Racial language, education reform, and MAGA leadership all collide in online spat between Dinesh D’Souza and Vivek Ramaswamy.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 14, Nov 2025
- 13:09 EST
- 18
Dinesh D’Souza, Vivek Ramaswamy / X (Dinesh D’Souza/ Vivek Ramaswamy)
An online clash between Indian-origin conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy triggered a debate in MAGA circles over race, education reform, and leadership identity.
The dispute began after Ramaswamy, who is considering a run for Ohio governor, posted a plan calling for a reset of public education. He argued for restoring literacy and numeracy standards, saying strengthening K-12 schooling was essential to “getting serious about making America great again.”
Also Read: Far-right activist targets Indians in H-1B debate, triggers clash
How ironic it will be if a brown American like Vivek actually helps to fix education and raise the prospects of white kids, while all the professional whiteys on X continue their idle boasting about how they too could get us to the moon, “just like some white dudes did in 1969.” https://t.co/ISuvsuX7dz
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) November 13, 2025
D’Souza’s response, which referenced Ramaswamy’s ethnicity, escalated the discussion. He said it would be “ironic” if “a brown American like Vivek” ended up helping improve education for “white kids,” while “professional whiteys on X” continued boasting about past achievements. The remark drew criticism across the ideological spectrum for its racial framing.
The exchange comes as Republicans debate who can serve as acceptable leaders within the MAGA movement. Ramaswamy has previously faced pushback from far-right corners, including criticism last month after posting Halloween photographs that prompted calls for his deportation from some accounts.
The clash also overlaps with wider GOP debates on immigration and skilled visas. Donald Trump’s recent remarks suggesting the United States “doesn’t have certain talents” and must bring in specialized workers have unsettled parts of his base, who see the shift as contradicting long-standing “America First” rhetoric.
Ramaswamy’s education platform has been gaining attention in Ohio. He has outlined proposals including stricter academic standards, expanded school choice, merit-based pay for teachers, and increased use of artificial intelligence in classrooms.
He has also argued that the United States is falling behind global competitors, citing data showing American eighth-graders lagging in math proficiency compared to students in countries such as China.
Ramaswamy has also been at the center of earlier cultural debates. In Dec. 2024, he argued that top tech companies often hire foreign-born and first-generation engineers not due to an “innate American IQ deficit,” but because American culture has “venerated mediocrity over excellence” for decades—comments that resurfaced amid the latest controversy.
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