Khanna touts Obama ‘vision for a multiracial democracy’ with Ramaswamy on debate stage

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) touted former President Obama’s “vision for a multiracial democracy” following Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s participation in the first GOP primary debate. 

“Somewhere @BarackObama must be smiling that a 38-year-old son of Hindu immigrants running to the right of Trump is cribbing from him!” Khanna, a former Obama administration official, wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Obama’s vision for a multiracial democracy is seeping into our politics despite the intense backlash. A slow but satisfying vindication.”

During Wednesday night’s debate, Ramaswamy introduced himself saying, “Let me just address the question that is on everybody’s mind at home tonight. Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name, and what the heck is he doing in the middle of this debate stage?” 

The line was similar to one made by Obama in 2004 about how the U.S. could be a home even for himself, a “skinny kid with a funny name.”  

The comment prompted backlash from former New Jersey Gov. Christie, who compared Ramaswamy to “amateur” Obama during the debate.

“I’ve honestly had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT,” he said. “The last person in one of these debates … who stood in the middle of the stage and said, ‘What is a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here?’ was Barak Obama.”

“And I’m afraid we are dealing with the same type of amateur standing on the stage tonight,” Christie added.

Ramaswamy fired back at the comment, saying Christie should “give me a hug just like you do Obama and elect me just like you did Obama too,” in reference to the former governor’s beach walk with Obama following Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also spoke out against Christie’s comments, calling the comparison “pretty racist.”