By Julia Barcello
Background:
Courage is Contagious is Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign slogan for President. He is described as an American business leader and New York Times bestselling author of Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam, along with his second book, Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence, and Capitalist Punishment: How Wall Street is Using Your Money to Create a Country You Didn’t Vote For.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he often recounts the advice from his father: “If you’re going to stand out, then you might as well be outstanding.”
Ramaswamy is a nationally ranked tennis player and was valedictorian of his high school. He went on to graduate summa cum laude in Biology from Harvard and received his J.D. from Yale Law School. He then started a biotech company, Roivant Sciences, where he oversaw the development of five drugs that went on to become FDA-approved. In 2022, he founded Strive, an Ohio-based asset management firm.
Arriving late afternoon, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was hosted by The Milbrook Club to play tennis with members of the accomplished Greenwich High School (GHS) Boys tennis team, alongside a few other members of The Club. The match was organized by the Republican Town Committee (RTC) member and former member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, Kimberly Fiorello.
“I thought it would be a cool experience,” explains Harrison Wolfe, 17, GHS tennis player, “To come together with someone who has potential at winning a candidacy.” Wolfe’s excitement mirrors the sentiments of his teammates and reflects Ramaswamy’s aim to unify Americans beyond politics.
In a one on one interview after the match, Ramaswamy expressed his thanks for the match, “I believe we need to move beyond simply celebrating our differences and start celebrating what we have in common as Americans – the ideals that bind us together… I love sports in this country for this reason… We get to come together, have a good time, in common cause and competition. That’s America.”
Ramaswamy also shared his thoughts on the future of journalism and the media, believing the decentralization of media is a good thing, saying, “We’ve suffered decades of politicized media in the silos of cable television- and I think the promise of the modern internet, if it’s left uncensored, which is something I fight for, is going to be great for allowing people to hear directly from news sources.”
After the interview, Ramaswamy headed to a cocktail party with around 230 guests at a private home for the RTC’s Lincoln-Reagan Party to Remember as the keynote speaker. Kimberly Fiorello arranged this event alongside the help of other RTC members and many student volunteers.
Fiorello explained how she believes Ramaswamy’s message is universal and based on true American principles. The RTC welcomed Ramaswamy to Greenwich in support of his campaign, “To keep saying, ‘This is an American agenda.’ And I think Vivek does that so beautifully that I just felt like he’s the perfect person to come and be the keynote speaker,” said Fiorello.
Students who attended the event were grateful for the opportunity to speak with the presidential candidate after his speech. “I’ve seen a lot of Vivek on social media, and I have listened to his interviews,” said Volunteer, Harrison Cole, a first-year student at Southern Methodist University. “I think he has a lot of smart and unique ideas… He’s a real visionary.”
Speaking to members of Generation Z who attended the party, Ramaswamy expressed, “Proud of you guys. Thank you. Stay engaged with the country.”
When asked what one thing he wants to be remembered for, Ramaswamy’s answer was simple but clear, “Reviving national pride in this country. I want young Americans to be proud of what it means to be an American again. That’s what I want to be remembered for.”
Beginning his speech, Ramaswamy expressed not only his appreciation for the opportunity to run in the 2024 presidential race, but also his love for America, and his determination to give America back to the hands of Americans. He discussed his America First agenda, along with plans to reform the American education system and heal the country’s international affairs.
With a powerful statement about America’s history and future, Ramaswamy began his speech, calling the 2024 elections the “Revolution of 2024”, and explaining his strategy for success. “In history, you will not back down from the truth,” he proclaimed. “We will fight for the truth. That is what won us the American Revolution. That’s what got us 250 years in. That is what’s going to win us the Revolution of 2024.”
Ramaswamy’s approach includes reforming the American education system. “Parents determine the education of their children,” stated Ramaswamy during his speech; suggesting that he supports school choice and the publishing of school curriculums online.
He further expressed his concern with the rise of ‘cults’ in America. He described these cults to be stemmed from topics such as “transgenderism”, “climate cult” and “Covidism”. Ramaswamy explained, “You think it’s a coincidence that we see the rise of these secular cults at the same time in America? It is not. It is a symptom of a deeper void. And the good news is that’s our opportunity. That’s our moment in the conservative movement… in the pro-America movement.”
Ramaswamy claims that while many Americans may have similar morals, they have become too hesitant to express them. “That’s what it means to be American, means we believe in free speech and open debate… I think most of our neighbors and our colleagues and our classmates and our teammates believe these things to be true. But we’re not sure anymore. Because we don’t feel free to talk about it,” stated Ramaswamy.
“Maybe we disagree on whether you know corporate tax rates should be extra. Why ivermectin treats COVID… But we agree on the basic principles, the rules of the road. It’s why in this campaign, I’m unconstrained. I would rather speak the truth at every step and lose this election than play some political stakes,” Ramaswamy declared.
During the interview, Ramaswamy explained that one of his main goals if he wins the presidency will be to disrupt the Russia-China alliance as he believes it is the largest global issues today. “I think that’s actually the main risk for the country right now – that these two nations are allies. We need to address that,” said Ramaswamy. He further explained his desire to, “End the Ukraine War in a peaceful way that gives Putin the reason to open economic relations again with the West, that pulls him out of Xi Jinping’s class.”
He also conveyed his worry about the U.S.-Mexico border crisis, saying, “An open border is no border.” Ramaswamy plans to secure the border and welcome immigrants through all legal forms of immigration. He stated his readiness to use the military if necessary to safeguard the southern border. Stating, “We should be open to immigrants like [my parents], but it also means that your first act of entering this country cannot break the law,” Ramaswamy said.
Bringing his speech to a close, Ramaswamy expressed his fundamental goal if he wins the presidency: reuniting America. “E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one. That’s the dream that won the American Revolution… That is the dream that still gives hope to the free world. And if we can revive that dream over group identity and victimhood and grievance, then nobody in the world, not a nation, not a corporation, not a virus is going to defeat us. That is what American Exceptionalism is all about,” he concluded.
