Far-right provocateur Nick Fuentes on Tuesday escalated his rhetoric by announcing plans to campaign against entrepreneur-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy ahead of Ohio’s 2026 gubernatorial race, framing the effort as a warning shot aimed at Vice President JD Vance before a possible 2028 presidential bid.
Fuentes made clear that Ramaswamy’s Indian heritage was central to his attacks, following a New York Times op-ed in which Ramaswamy explicitly denounced Fuentes and argued that his brand of extremism runs counter to American values. Fuentes responded by singling out Ramaswamy and vowing to mobilize opposition against him in Ohio.
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The episode has also drawn Vice President Vance into Fuentes’ crosshairs. Vance previously condemned Fuentes after the activist used a racist slur directed at Second Lady Usha Vance, prompting Fuentes to broaden his attacks to include the vice president himself. The backlash widened after Ramaswamy publicly called out Fuentes, prompting Vice President JD Vance to weigh in as well. Vance issued a blunt response, saying that anyone who attacks his wife can “eat s**t,” drawing a clear line against the kind of rhetoric Fuentes has pushed into the spotlight.
“This is the only race I care about in 2026. We cannot let this Anchor Baby (Vivek Ramaswamy) be the Governor in Ohio, I don’t care if the J*wish woman wins,” as per Nick Fuentes. While Vivek’s campaign talked about, “We’re focused on the issues that matter most to Ohioans, not fringe voices that prefer a far-left Democrat to the Trump-endorsed conservative.”
At 27, Fuentes has emerged as one of the most visible figures on the far-right, known for pushing extremist, white nationalist ideas and for rallying a loosely connected online base that calls itself the “Groypers.”
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For years, Fuentes remained on the political fringe, widely viewed as outside the mainstream because of views many critics warn are dangerous and deeply un-American. That perception began to shift after he was given a high-profile platform by MAGA-aligned media personality Tucker Carlson, an appearance that significantly expanded his reach and pushed him closer to the center of the conservative media ecosystem.