Liberal protesters rammed a car into Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign vehicle on Thursday.
The incident occurred near a campaign stop in Grinnell, Iowa, according to authorities.
Liberal protesters ram car into Ramaswamy campaign vehicle https://t.co/dvsdl5zzc5
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 6, 2023
"The scene outside the coffee house where Ramaswamy appeared included a handful of protesters who shouted obscenities at the candidate," the Washington Examiner reported.
"One of the protesters inside the blue Honda Civic gave Ramaswamy the middle finger and blared the car horn. The campaign said it could not determine whether the crash was intentional," it added.
Protesters hit Ramaswamy campaign vehicle outside Iowa event https://t.co/lnsTdVvkkn
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) October 5, 2023
"Vivek will always stand for free speech and the right to peaceful protest, but when protesters cross the line and escalate to physical (intentional or otherwise) that is unAmerican and unacceptable," Ramaswamy spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told FOX News Digital.
Ramaswamy later posted on social media, "I believe in free speech, especially for those who disagree with me. Violence is never the answer. We will always hold ourselves to a higher standard than the other side."
Ramaswamy's car rammed by protesters in Iowa https://t.co/Uz1uLNFevr
— POLITICO (@politico) October 5, 2023
"In another post, he added that he had had a civil exchange with many of the protesters and that only the two who had rammed his car should 'be held accountable,'” according to Politico.
“The rest of the peaceful protestors shouldn’t be tarred by the behavior of two bad actors,” he said.
Ramaswamy, a breakout Republican presidential candidate, has drawn early attention in the crowded GOP field, including positive responses from former President Donald Trump. The youngest of the top candidates at 38 years old, Ramaswamy has also been popular among younger American voters who see him as a positive alternative to Trump.
The candidate has often been accused of agreeing with Trump whenever possible, while others have viewed Ramaswamy's efforts as a publicity stunt or an attempt to become Trump's running mate. He drew national attention during the first GOP primary debate but later appeared to decrease in attention following a lower-quality performance during the second debate in which he may be known for his hair more over any of his comments during the exchanges.
The latest incident, whether intentional or not, is likely to place the contender in the spotlight once again, drawing even more attention to the youthful GOP candidate who has quickly become a leader in the 2024 presidential race.
