Conservative pundit Ann Coulter is facing backlash after telling former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy point-blank that she wouldn’t have voted for him because of his race.
“You are so bright and articulate, and I guess I can call you articulate since you’re not an American Black—can’t say that about them, that’s derogatory,” Coulter said in an episode of Ramaswamy’s “TRUTH” podcast.
Her next racial dig switched to target Ramaswamy.
“I agreed with many, many things you said during—in fact probably more than most other candidates when you were running for president, but I still would not have voted for you, because you’re an Indian,” she said.
Coulter then went on to reject the idea of nationalism being correlated with Hitler—although she said she’d use the terms of Americanism or citizenship instead.
“Hitler had soup, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have soup. Hitler loved dogs, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t love dogs,” she said. “So I think we have to move past this ‘if Hitler did it, it must be bad.'”
While Ramaswamy’s short-lived presidential bid ended with him dropping out and endorsing President Donald Trump after the Iowa caucus in January, where he received 7.7% of the vote, Coulter’s comment that Ramaswamy would not have had her vote regardless because of his Indian race roiled online critics.
“He thought it was funny when Coulter slid in racism aimed at Blacks but rest assured racists don’t pick & choose which diverse groups they hate…Vivek’s turn was next,” commented one Democratic strategist.
“lmfao she said ‘You’re very articulate and I can tell you that because you’re not an American black’ and then said ‘I agreed with most of what you said but still couldn’t vote for you because you’re an Indian’ within like a twenty second timeframe,” replied another person. “The Michael Jordan of racism.”
But Ramaswamy himself promoted the podcast episode on X, noting that she “told me flat-out to my face that she couldn’t vote for me ‘because you’re an Indian,’ even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates.”
“I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind,” he added.
Ramaswamy’s post similarly came under fire alongside Coulter’s initial comments.
“You respect that she was openly and crudely racist to your face? Sheesh,” commented progressive pundit Mehdi Hasan. “The things that Brown folks will do to be accepted by the white supremacy wing of the GOP.”
Remarked Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.): “I wasn’t surprised that Ann Coulter made a racist statement about Vivek. What surprised me is the weakness and lack of self respect of Vivek Ramaswamy. He’s actually promoting this episode and praising the person who spewed raw racism to his face. I feel sorry for Vivek.”
“Dude, have some self-respect,” derided someone else.
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