“The True Face of Left-Wing Elitism”: Ex-DNC Chair Accused of Racism Over Vivek Ramaswamy Comments

William FurneyNov 27, 2023

Minute Read

Democratic heavyweight Donna Brazile is not a fan of Vivek Ramaswamy, and she even doesn’t want him in the country — but back in the land of his parents, India.

Couldn’t Get His Name right

Brazile, a CNN commentator and twice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, was speaking on the Real Time with Bill Maher show when she tore into the Republican presidential hopeful and made fun of his name. “Vivek needs to just shut the hell up and go home,” she said, unable to properly pronounce his name.

Singling Out Ramaswamy?

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After repeatedly trying and failing to pronounce both Ramaswamy’s first and last names, Brazile was corrected by host Maher, who asked her if she would do the same with other candidates — and said he “hates” Ramaswamy.

‘Go Home, Vivek!’

Finally getting her pronunciation right, Brazile, a 63-year-old black woman, said of the Indian-American: “Vivek needs to go home!” — and was swiftly accused of racism.

‘Reverse Racism’

Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy’s communications chief, told the Daily Mail that “Reverse racism is racism.”

‘Pat on Back’ from Democrats

McLaughlin added: “If that were a white Republican, they would be fired and torn to shreds on cable TV. Donna will probably get an ‘atta boy’ from her colleagues. Gross.”

Ramaswamy Remarks

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Commenting on the controversy himself, Ramaswamy, who was born in Cincinnati to parents who immigrated from India, also referenced white Republicans.

‘Intentional Mispronouncing of Name’

Ramaswamy wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account, where he has 1.4 million followers: “I wonder what they’d do if a white Republican intentionally mispronounced Donna’s name & then told her to return “home.’”

Democratic ‘Double Standards’

Answers came almost immediately, with one person writing in response: “This is the true face of left-wing elitism, casually racist while pretending to champion diversity. Pathetic display of double standards.”

Brazile ‘the Villain’

Another person said on X: “Donna Brazile telling you who she is, and who her party is. Believe her. She is the villain she claims to be.”

‘Racist Democrats’

Someone else on X opined: “As an Indian American, though I’ve only ever donated to Democrats so far, I’ve always experienced more racism from the Democratic Party than from Republicans. For Democrats, racism flows from ideology. In a Republican setting, they’re more aware of the need to be welcoming.”

Ramaswamy’s Presidential Hopes

Ramaswamy, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, is aiming to become the Republican Party nominee for next year’s presidential election — and the first Indian-American in the White House.

Dismal Polling Numbers

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But Ramaswamy’s polling across the nation is hardly registering, consistently placing him in single-digit territory compared to a GOP field that includes frontrunner Donald Trump.

Trump’s Massive Lead

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The former president has a lead of at least 50 points over his Republican rivals, with an average of national polls currently putting him at 60.3 percent support among Republican voters. That compares to just 4.8 percent for Ramaswamy.

Other GOP Contenders

GOP 2024 hopefuls also include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, polling at 13.2 percent on average, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has 9.6 percent support. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is also a longshot for the Republican Party nomination, with an average polling figure of 2.9 percent.

Youth Card

But Ramaswamy has the benefit of having youth on his side, at a mere 38 compared to Trump’s 77 years and amid a growing chorus of critics who say he’s too old and should withdraw from the race and retire.

Trump Imprisonment?

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There is also the matter of Trump’s many legal battles — he has been indicted four times on a total of 91 criminal charges — and whether he will be convicted and jailed.

The Indictments

Two sets of indictments allege Trump tried to overturn the result of the 2020 election and deprive the American people of their constitutional right to vote; another alleges he kept secret government files at his Florida home and refused to hand them back; and a fourth says Trump falsified accounting to cover up payments made to a former adult film star so she wouldn’t disclose an alleged affair with Trump.

Not Guilty Pleas

The former president has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and says they are the work of Democrats trying to stop him from returning to the White House.

Crimes and Conviction?

A new Harvard/Harris poll asked voters if they thought Trump had committed crimes for which he would be convicted. Exactly half said yes with the other 50 percent saying no.