Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate posts racist video targeting Ramaswamy
GOP candidate Casey Putsch fires weapon in racist video targeting frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy, prompting academics to call it a threat and fueling xenophobia.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Republican gubernatorial candidate Casey Putsch posted a video on social media targeting GOP frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy with racist language and gunfire, drawing sharp criticism from academics and raising concerns about threats against political opponents.
In the video posted on X, Putsch can be seen entering the frame and saying, “Hey Vivek, you want to play Cowboys versus Indians?” before firing a gun three times. He then adds, “Don’t worry, it’s feather, not dot,” using discriminatory terms to differentiate between indigenous people and individuals from India, with “dot” referring to the bindi worn by some Hindus and Jains.
“One hundred percent, it’s a threat,” said Dr. Deepak Sarma, a religion and philosophy professor at Case Western Reserve University. “This person is perpetuating, is fueling xenophobia in the United States. And he’s doing it in the most egregious way possible.”
Candidate Defends Video as Joke
Putsch defended his actions in an interview, claiming he was not being racist or threatening. “I am also supporting the Second Amendment and exercising my First Amendment right to make a joke that lots of people think is actually funny,” Putsch said.
The candidate argued that people are being overly sensitive and that he posts content on social media that “shouldn’t be taken seriously.” Putsch acknowledged that he routinely posts about Indian people like Ramaswamy, including calls to deport all of them, including his fellow candidate.
“How would that be racist? Because there are people that should be deported to all different places of the globe, and just because we might joke about deporting Vivek, how does that have anything to do with race, other than the fact that he’s questionably American, and that’s a funny joke too,” Putsch said.
Questioning Ramaswamy’s American Status
When pressed about how Ramaswamy could be “questionably American” given that he was born in Cincinnati, Putsch responded, “Yeah, he was born to Indian foreign nationals who came here just to have an anchor baby.”
Ramaswamy has previously stated that his parents immigrated legally, with his mother becoming a naturalized citizen. His father never took the citizenship test, according to previous reports.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions within Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial primary race, where Ramaswamy has emerged as the frontrunner. The video has sparked debate about the limits of political discourse and the use of racist rhetoric in campaign messaging.
