Indian-American entrepreneur-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy made his maiden appearance at the Republican National Convention. He urged Americans to vote for former president Donald Trump to revive national pride and reignite the economy.
Ramaswamy, 38, a former presidential aspirant who dropped out of the race early in the Republican primary, praised Trump as the president who will unite America through action.
He stated, “If you want to seal the border, vote Trump. If you want to restore law and order, vote Trump. If you want to reignite our economy, vote for Trump. If you want to revive national pride, vote for Trump. If you want to make America great again, vote for Trump.”
WATCH?? @VivekGRamaswamy delivers a FIERY speech at the Republican National Convention
“Donald Trump is the president who will ACTUALLY unite this country. Not through empty words, but through action. Because, you know what— SUCCESS is unifying. EXCELLENCE is unifying. That’s… pic.twitter.com/i51HSfvKQm
— James Jinnette (@james_jinnette1) July 17, 2024
Ramaswamy’s fiery speech attracted multiple standing ovations and the biggest applause from thousands of delegates and party leaders gathered to nominate Trump for the November 5 presidential election.
He emphasized, “Success is unifying, excellence is unifying, that’s who we are as Americans, that’s who we have always been.”
He highlighted the American spirit of unity despite disagreements, saying, “We are the country where we can disagree like hell and still get together at the dinner table at the end of it. That is the America I know. That is the America we miss.”
Ramaswamy also defended free speech, stating, “If you disagree with everything I say then our message to you is this – we will still defend your right to say it because that is who we are as Americans.” His speech electrified the crowd.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised Ramaswamy’s speech on X, saying, “Well said.” In his seven-minute speech, Ramaswamy addressed various groups directly.
Well said!!pic.twitter.com/CgKPa1rnnt
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 17, 2024
He told black Americans, “The media has tried to convince you for decades that Republicans don’t care about your communities. We want for you what we want for every American: safe neighborhoods, clean streets, good jobs, a better life for your children, and a justice system that treats everyone equally – regardless of your skin color or your political beliefs.”
He addressed legal immigrants, saying, “You’re like my parents. You deserve the opportunity to secure a better life for your children in America.” To Gen Z, he said, “You’re going to be the generation that actually saves our country. You want to be a rebel? Try calling yourself a conservative. Say you want to get married, have kids, and teach them to pledge allegiance to your country.”
Ramaswamy criticized the current focus on race, gender, sexuality, and climate, saying, “Faith, patriotism, hard work, and family have disappeared and been replaced by race, gender, sexuality & climate. But we’re not going to win this election by just criticizing the other side. We’re going to WIN this by standing for our own vision.”
He concluded by asking, “What does it mean to be a Republican – what does it mean to be an American – in the year 2024?” He answered, “It means we believe in the ideals of 1776. Merit. The rule of law. That the people we elect to run the government should be the ones who actually run the government.
These aren’t black ideas or white ideas. They aren’t even red ideas or blue ideas. They are American ideals that we fought a revolution to secure. The man who will revive those ideals is your next President: Donald J. Trump.” Ramaswamy often invoked 1776 on the campaign trail, referring to the Declaration of Independence during the American Revolution.
