Listen To Story Above
Republican strategist Scott Jennings offered insight into Vivek Ramaswamy’s poor Iowa caucus performance, linking it to the candidate’s controversial statements about immigration and American culture.
The discussion emerged after Ramaswamy and Elon Musk faced criticism for their views on H-1B visas. Speaking on “CNN NewsNight” with Abby Phillip, Jennings remarked, “Somebody got stuffed in a locker, I’m not going to say who. Look, I think there’s a way to solve this and talk about this that doesn’t denigrate all of American culture. I mean, I’m now understanding more and more how he got 100 votes in Iowa or whatever it was he got during the Iowa Caucus.”
Scott Jennings blasts Vivek Ramaswamy for his post on X of American mediocrity @ScottJenningsKY: "First of all, after reading his message, I understand why he got like 100 votes in Iowa or whatever it was. I mean I think he kinda insulted alot of Americans and American culture.… pic.twitter.com/ACiihSp6cb
— 3sidedstory 🇺🇲 (@3sidedstory) December 27, 2024
Jennings acknowledged Musk’s subsequent clarification about seeking top global engineering talent, noting, “The reality is — and Elon, by the way, clarified or further explained his position later and was talking about saying, ‘I want to bring in the top 0.1% of engineering talent from around the world.’ It’s like bringing in Jokic or a Wembanyama to help your whole team, if you want to make a comparison to the NBA.”
The controversy intensified when Ramaswamy posted on X, criticizing American cultural values: “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG. A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.”
America-First means America’s in first place. Loving the open debate. If you want more hard truths, here you go. pic.twitter.com/aP1uMdETGt
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 27, 2024
Following their appointment as co-chairs of the Department of Government Efficiency by President-elect Trump, Jennings suggested a more balanced approach to immigration and education. He emphasized the importance of attracting international talent while supporting American students and maintaining cultural respect.
Concluding his analysis, Jennings observed that both MAGA supporters and mainstream Republicans were displeased with Ramaswamy’s comments, connecting this dissatisfaction to Trump’s political success.
