Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Indian American, became the subject of controversy on some social networks after he posted an old conservative activist clip of late Charlie Kirk. This one is actually from a debate session where Kirk engaged an audience member on the question, “What does it mean to be American?”.
His challenge was to the idea that America was founded “for white men of good stock and character,” saying that it didn’t make sense. Ramaswamy intended for this clip to show his constitutionally based view on citizenship, but it backfired.
Some blasted his feed with calls for him to “self-deport,” which smacks of the irony of an Indian-origin person celebrating some conservative leader known for his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the very H1B visa workers he denigrated as “parasites” stealing American jobs.
We miss you man. pic.twitter.com/jv4kIdojzy
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) October 31, 2025
This shows that even being a nonwhite conservative is an arduous enterprise rife with nativist and occasionally overtly racist undertones within the populist movement.
Backlash Over Indian Heritage and Populism
Ramaswamy’s public recognition of Kirk reopened an old wound for critics who perceive his alignment with the populist right as betrayal of his own heritage.
This controversy highlights a very delicate tension: the aim of Ramaswamy’s campaign was to unite the nation under one American identity composed of constitutional ideals, a vision shared by Kirk in the clip, who emphasized E pluribus unum.
That vision is now almost inconsequential because Kirk has a long history of making anti-immigrants’ statements, some of which directly target Indian professionals.
The outrage in social media-the “self-deport” demand being an eye-catching example-is a reflection of anger that Ramaswamy appears to overlook or forgive, rhetoric that has historically marginalized Indians and members of the diaspora.
Social Media’s ‘Self-Deport’ Dialogue
The “self deport” trend became an emblematic figure of the social media backlash. The term, typically attached to harsh anti-immigration policies that some foreign nationals could choose to exercise and leave voluntarily, was turned into a weapon of sarcasm by Ramaswamy’s critics.
The main factual issue here is that Ramaswamy is an American citizen by birth, so any demand for deportation is merely rhetorical and very personal. His critics were not arguing for some policy position; they were mostly voicing their rejection of his political orientation.
For them, perhaps the association with somebody like Kirk sits extremely ill with his origin: If he espouses such nativist views, he should also take some of their implications for nonwhite immigrants and their descendants.
The whole commotion serves as a vivid reminder of how immediately, public endorsement of a controversial character is scrutinized via someone’s personal identity.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
