GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, known for his strident opposition to affirmative action and battle against “wokeness,” couldn’t seem to get around his own past statements in a recent interview. Ramaswamy told The Hollywood Reporter in an article published Wednesday that “what’s resulting in a regrettable wave of racism in all directions… is the absence of honesty”—and even said “need to have some open, honest, raw conversations related to identity.” When asked about diversity in Hollywood, he said a modern remake of American History X, a movie about a neo-Nazi who vows to change his ways, is “overdue,” and he once considered financing the project. “Part of what we need is to create enough honesty in storytelling that allows people of diverse backgrounds in every sense,” Ramaswamy said. “That’s not done enough right now.” The interviewer asked if he was being more careful with his language following the racist mass shooting in Jacksonville, but Ramaswamy said he “reject[ed] your premise.” “Our shared goal is that we do not want more racially divisive violence or behavior in this country,” he said. Still, Ramaswamy claimed racism is not “top 50 problem in the United States.”
Read it at The Hollywood Reporter
