Vivek Ramaswamy’s awkward campaign speech ends in just minutes as he’s booed and heckled

Vivek Ramaswamy’s awkward campaign speech ends in just minutes as he’s booed and heckled ‘You’re a political cretin and you need to get the f*** outta here!’ one person shouted at the Republican gubernatorial nominee - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy cut short a campaign speech after being viciously heckled and jeered by members of a libertarian student group. The failed 2024 presidential candidate was greeted with loud boos even before taking the stage at a Young Americans for Liberty conference at Cincinnati's Xavier University, according to a video posted on social media. Things got even worse after Ramaswamy, a billionaire biotech investor, told the audience in his hometown Wednesday that the "people in my generation have already made it" and that their generation would be the one "that pays the price." The comment ignited the crowd, with one person shouting, "We don’t want to hear your bull**** talking points," The Daily Beast reported. "You’re a political cretin and you need to get the f*** outta here!" the heckler added. Earlier, Ramaswamy, 40, told the students that the "real divide" in the U.S. wasn't between Democrats and Republicans, but between "winners" and "whiners." “Are you in the camp of people in this country who want to win? Or are you in the camp of people who want to whine?” he asked. “What does winning look like?” one listener shouted back. At one point, Ramaswamy's frustration became evident when he taunted a heckler by asking, "You want to give a speech?" "Well, you can get on when they give you a slot, all right?" he added. Although Ramaswamy was scheduled to speak for 20 minutes, he lasted just 14, wrapping up his remarks by asking whether anyone in the room still believed in free enterprise, capitalism and "actual liberty," the Daily Beast reported. When some in the crowd cheered, Ramaswamy told them: "You’re gonna be carrying the rest of this room on your back." "I hope for the rest of them, that you are successful and can actually create wealth and create success, instead of villainizing it," he added. Ramaswamy then said: "Peace out, see you guys," before leaving to a final chorus of boos. The crowd's hostility was reminiscent of the boos that Ramaswamy elicited during a 2023 debate among Republican presidential candidates, when he attacked fellow contenders Chris Christie and Nikki Haley. Christie, former New Jersey governor, also called Ramaswamy "the most obnoxious blowhard in America," adding: "So shut up for a little while,” ABC News reported at the time. Recent polls show Ramaswamy running neck-and-neck against Democrat Amy Acton to succeed outgoing Republican Governor Mike DeWine in red state Ohio. His lack of support led the Cook Political Report to change its outlook on the race from "leans Republican" to "toss-up," Cincinnati public radio station WXVU reported earlier this month. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] PASS ILD PASS ILD THEITANNUAL YAL NATIONAL ILD CONVENTION 2026 CONVEXTION