US: Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy bats for cancelling 'useless' Juneteenth holiday
Vivek Ramaswamy
Republican president nomination seeker Vivek Ramaswamy has courted controversy after he suggested cancelling Juneteenth, calling it a 'useless' holiday.
Ramaswamy made the suggestion during a conversation with Iowa voters on Saturday (August 5). He suggested that instead of Juneetenth,a national voting holiday can be instituted.
“Cancel Juneteenth or one of the other useless ones we made up,” Ramaswamy told to a raucous reception from the crowd.
Asked by NBC News to clarify whether he thought Juneteenth was a “useless” holiday, Ramaswamy said, “I basically do". He also clarified that the holiday was instituted due to political reasons.
“The reason for making it a holiday was under political duress. It was a political hostage situation on the back of the death of George Floyd,” Ramaswamy said.
Watch |Vivek Ramaswamy: I want to revive our nation's patriotism and pride
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
When pressed if he believed other holidays such as Veterans Day or Memorial Day were also useless holidays, Ramaswamy said he didn't.
“I stand with the presumption of time-tested traditions,” he said.
Ramaswamy's 180 on the holiday
Ramaswamy's statement comes less than two months after he was seen celebrating the holiday. In a video posted on his official X handle, formerly known as Twitter, Ramaswamy said he was proud to celebrate the holiday.
"Juneteenth is a new holiday so we still have a chance to define what it means to us. It needn’t be about grievance & self-flogging. Let it be a celebration of the American Dream itself.
“What we celebrate is how far we’ve come. And as a first-generation American myself, you better believe I’m proud of it. Happy Juneteenth everybody,” he added.
Notably, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, despite being observed since 1866. The announcement came in the backdrop of George Floyd's death when the Black Lives Movement (BLM) was at its peak.
Ramaswamy and his politics
Ramaswamy, a US citizen, born and raised inCincinnati, Ohio has put his hat in the ring to secure a nomination from the Republican party for the 2024 presidential elections. He is up against former president Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and other heavyweights.
His father worked at the General Electric Plant in Evendale, Ohio. His mother was a geriatric psychiatrist in Cincinnati. Ramaswamy argues that American capitalism is a way out for discriminated Indian citizens to grab better economic opportunities in the US.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: