Vivek Ramaswamy's Hindu faith is front and center in his GOP presidential campaign
Ramaswamy is as comfortable talking about Bible stories as he is sharing the message of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most sacred Hindu texts. The 37-year-old biotech entrepreneur turned Republican presidential candidate has been steadily garnering support in a party dominated by conservative Christians. In many polls, he's in third place behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis, and he is one of six candidates who have qualified for the first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 23. He is also only the nation's second Hindu presidential candidate.
Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman, ran as a Democrat in 2020. Ramaswamy shared 10 core beliefs as part of his campaign, with «God is real» topping the list followed by «There are two genders.» He cascaded into the limelight with his 2021 book «Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam,» a scathing critique of corporations that he says use social justice causes as a smokescreen for self-interested policies. He became a regular commentator on Fox News and other conservative outlets, backing capitalism and meritocracy, and criticizing affirmative action, mask mandates and open borders.
He is anti-abortion and believes gender dysphoria should be treated as a mental illness. He has expressed support for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose populist policies have been divisive. On the campaign trail, Ramaswamy has leaned into his faith as he vies for the nomination of a party where evangelical Christian support is key.
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