straddle the line between Trumpian populism and establish- ment GOP orthodoxy Ramaswamy appears to have emerged as an anti-woke firebrand who has eloquently and forcefully articulated the stakes of the current political moment, offered concrete policy visions, and, perhaps most importantly, authen- tically connected with voters. “We’re in the middle of a national identity crisis,” Ramaswamy stated bluntly in his February campaign launch video. “Our nation is hungry for a cause, for purpose, for meaning. The things that used to fill that void like faith, patriotism, hard work, and family have disappeared. We now embrace one secular reli- gion after another… to satisfy our deeper need for identity. Yet we cannot even answer the question of what it means to be an American in the year 2023.” He continued: “We’ve obsessed so much over our diversity and our differences that we forgot all the ways we’re really just the same bound by a common set of ideals as Americans.” Much of Ramaswamy’s time in the spotlight has come thanks to his strong presence on digital media. He also regularly appears on corporate media television programs, impressively punching back against left-wing TV personalities and cementing his profile as a conservative firebrand who, in the vein of Donald Trump, will not hesitate to call it like he sees it. Ramaswamy’s policy platform has still raised some red flags with rank-and-file primary voters including his lack of support for Trump’s ban on transgender-identifying individuals serving in the military, his criticism of America First trade policies, and his calls for significant increases in legal immigration. Though most observers would agree Ramaswamy is unlikely to surge to first place, he has made it clear that he is not to be underestimated and that he could have a bright political future ahead of him. Did you know? Ramaswamy supports universally deporting illegal immigrants. See our comparison chart on page 42 for more! Next: Governor Chris Christie on page 34
P erhaps no candidate has been more of a lightning rod in this Republican primary season than once little-known entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Initially regarded as a longshot candidate who would remain confined to political obscurity, Ramaswamy appears to have succeeded at taking the wind out of other candidates’ sails. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Indian immigrant parents, Ramaswamy graduated from Harvard University and then Yale Law School. He then worked as an investment partner with a hedge fund before founding a biotechnology company, Roivant Sciences, in 2014. In 2022, after stepping down from Roivant, Ramaswamy founded Strive Asset Management, an explicitly anti-ESG investment firm that prioritizes financial returns for shareholders over commit- ments to left-wing political dogmas. While other candidates in the primary race have struggled to establish a clear political lane unsuccessfully attempting to vivek ramaswamy
32 • AMAC Magazine
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