"As US president I would enforce civil rights laws": Vivek Ramaswamy

Indian American entrepreneur and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has said that one of the things that he needs to do as US President is to enforce the civil rights law as they exist on the books.

In his address at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Town Hall, Ramaswamy said, "There are two sides to the job. One is there are policies the US president should stand for and where I begin is not what I need to ask Congress to do, most of those promises are never fulfilled, repeal and replace Obama Care you might remember that it didn't happen it's not anyone's fault just Congress is designed to act slowly if at all. One of the things I need to do is as US president enforce the civil rights laws as they exist on the books."

He said that modern wokeness showcases as a sort of religion in the US which indicates that you can't speak certain words or wear certain clothes. He stated that he will instruct the US Department of Justice to enforce all civil rights laws "even-handedly rather than in a one-sided way."

"I wrote a book about this I think that modern wokeness reflects a sort of religion in this country, actually certain words you can't say clothes you can't wear, apologies you must recite, excommunication procedures that must be initiated. Well one of the things is the Supreme Court's been clear that even secular humanism meets the test for what counts as a religion, if that does woekism does too turns out to be a religion ... you can't force an employee to bow down to your religion," he said.

"Well if wokeness meets the Supreme Court's test for what counts as a religion then that's what we're seeing across this country is actually a civil rights violation where ordinary Americans should not be forced to choose between speaking their minds freely and putting food on the dinner table, between the American dream and the First Amendment. We're the nation on Earth where you get to enjoy both of those things at the same time that's what it means to be an American and that in many ways is a violation under current law already so I'll instruct the Department of Justice to enforce all civil rights laws even-handedly rather than in a one-sided way," he added.

He stressed that the US President is more than a binder of politics. He recalled that his parents 40 years back came to the country with no money and now he is the founder of multi-billion dollar companies.

Vivek Ramaswamy said, "I will say the other thing though and I think this is even more important the US president is more than a binder of policies and I think we forget that sometimes I think the US president sets an example of what is possible in this country my parents came here with no money 40 years ago."

He further said, "I have gone on to found multi-billion dollar companies if I take office I'll be doing it if you all put me there at the age of 39 setting an example of what is possible for every kid in this country regardless of their skin colour, regardless of where their parents came from, regardless of how long their last name is this is the United States of America where you get ahead with your own hard work, your own commitment your own dedication and that you're free to speak your mind at every step of the way. That is what it means to be an American and the standard that I want you all to hold me to if you put us in that position is I want to be able to you know, the two sons that we just put to bed before we came here ,I want to be able to look my two sons in the eye and to tell them that I want you to grow up and be like him whoever that is in the White House that's the standard that I want you all to hold Apoorva and I too when we're in that office as well."

Ramaswamy said that the left is feeding people with race, gender, sexuality and climate and called it wokeness.

"I think it's been a long time since we've had somebody who stands truly in the way they live their life and the values they stand for, faith and patriotism and hard work and family, and while the left is feeding us race, gender, sexuality, climate we'll call that wokeness we've fallen into the trap of pointing out all the reasons why that vision is wrong that's not good enough. We have to stand for the individual, the family, the nation and God, if we have the courage to actually stand for something we're not just running from something we're running to something and that's what we will revive in this country not just through our policies but through the example that we set," Ramaswamy said in his remarks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Town Hall.

Notably, the Indian American entrepreneur had shot up sharply in GOP primary polls, standing tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the second position. However, both candidates lag hugely behind former President Donald Trump who leads with 56 per cent, as per The Hill.

In another poll by RealClearPolitics, Trump is far out in front of the 2024 GOP race with 53.6 per cent support, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 13.5 per cent, and Ramaswamy at 7.3 per cent, New York Post reported. The next US presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024.