Left-wing protesters rammed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign vehicle during an event in Grinnell, Iowa, according to reports.
On Thursday, a group of anarchist liberals appeared outside of Ramaswamy’s campaign event at Saints Rest Coffee House. The billionaire entrepreneur’s campaign told reporters that a female driver and a passenger were yelling expletives at him, giving him the middle finger, and blaring the car horn.
Two protesters, aged 22 and 26, rammed their vehicle into @VivekGRamaswamy’s car as he visited Saints Rest Coffee House in Grinnell, Iowa on Thursday.
— Katelyn Caralle (@Katelyn_Caralle) October 5, 2023
The 2024 presidential hopeful is not hurt and was not in the car at the time of the incident. pic.twitter.com/witPOe9uj1
The driver then hit the campaign’s parked vehicle and drove off. The Grinnell Police Department was called to the scene over a property damage incident but could not definitively say whether it was intentional.
“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 reporters.
Protesters not involved in the hit-and-run continued heckling Ramaswamy as he was entering the venue. One protester shouted, “My mom’s a public school worker and she deserves to be paid and respected!”
To which the Republican hopeful responded, “I think every person deserves to be respected but we are failing to do right by our kids in this country. Our achievement gap versus other countries is bad and we’re all in that together.”
“But here is what I will say: The beauty of this country is that you all have the right to express your opinions and you’re doing it peacefully. And even though I disagree with you, I’m proud of you for expressing your views even if I disagree with you,” he continued.
Following the incident, Ramaswamy went on social media to condemn the protesters’ actions, writing: “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.”
This comes as new polls show that Ramaswamy is the closest rival to former President Donald Trump, who has a 47-point lead over the 38-year-old presidential candidate.
Ramaswamy has also surpassed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 13 percent to DeSantis’ 8 percent, a stunning development from just a few months ago when the governor led the now-dark horse candidate by 14 percent to 3 percent.
