<!-- wp:html --><p>Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty</p>
<p>Thirty-seven-year-old Republican presidential candidate <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vivek-ramaswamy-is-the-spoiler-candidate-trump-loves">Vivek Ramaswamy</a> has made his strident opposition to <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-america-fell-out-of-love-with-affirmative-action">affirmative action</a> a main part of his campaign pitch. (His other major policy pillar is fighting “<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-woke-divisive-concepts-law-cost-georgia-teacher-her-job">wokeness</a>.”)</p>
<p>Since announcing his presidential run in February, Ramaswamy has railed against <a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1674443852210483201">what he</a> refers to as “preferences”—race, gender, legacy status, etc.—in college admissions and in hiring, saying entrance into both areas should be based on “<a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1675577887456468994?s=20">pure merit</a>.”</p>
<p>He has called race-based admissions “<a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1628586623075241986?s=20">a cancer on our national soul</a>,” promised that as president he would end race-conscious college admissions “<a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1628507422657777664?lang=en">on Day One without apology</a>,” and identified the defeat of affirmative action as the “<a href="https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/23720391/vivek-ramaswamy-affirmative-action-woke-capitalism-ideas">tip of the spear</a> of my policy agenda.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vivek-ramaswamy-can-thank-affirmative-action-for-his-success">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p><!-- /wp:html -->
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty
Thirty-seven-year-old Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has made his strident opposition to affirmative action a main part of his campaign pitch. (His other major policy pillar is fighting “wokeness.”)
Since announcing his presidential run in February, Ramaswamy has railed against what he refers to as “preferences”—race, gender, legacy status, etc.—in college admissions and in hiring, saying entrance into both areas should be based on “pure merit.”
