Vivek Ramaswamy used the pages of The New York Times this week to deliver a pointed message to fellow conservatives, warning that parts of the Republican movement risk sliding into the same kind of ideological excess that plagued Democrats in recent years. At the same time, the Ohio gubernatorial candidate offered a sweeping vision to inspire younger Americans — including the idea of building a base on the moon.
In a Wednesday op-ed, Ramaswamy argued that Republicans must confront extremism within their own ranks rather than ignore it. He said he sees troubling parallels between how Democrats hesitated to rein in radical elements on the left and how some Republicans now avoid calling out far-right figures. According to Ramaswamy, this reluctance is allowing a new form of identity politics to take root on the right.
“As one of the most vocal opponents of left-wing identity politics,” Ramaswamy wrote, “I now see real reluctance from my former anti-woke peers to criticize the new identity politics on the right.” He said this pattern mirrors how Democrats failed to push back against progressive excesses ahead of the 2024 election, even though most voters never embraced ideas like labeling math as racist or dismissing hard work as a marker of whiteness.
Ramaswamy specifically condemned extremists who elevate race or ancestry above individual merit. He urged Republicans to reject figures associated with the so-called Groyper movement, singling out provocations linked to Nick Fuentes. “If, like Mr. Fuentes, you believe that Hitler was ‘really f-ing cool,’ or if you publicly call Usha Vance a ‘jeet,’ then you have no place in the conservative movement, period,” Ramaswamy wrote.
Beyond cultural cleanup, Ramaswamy offered four recommendations aimed at healing divisions and restoring optimism, particularly among younger Americans. He argued that younger generations face a more difficult economic future than those before them and are searching for meaning and direction.
One proposal focused on lowering the cost of living by eliminating local land-use restrictions in order to increase housing supply. He also called for policies that would give young people stock options and reduce their tax burden, moves he said could help them build wealth and regain a sense of economic stake in the country.
His most ambitious idea, however, looked beyond Earth. Ramaswamy argued that America needs a unifying national project — something bold enough to give citizens a shared sense of purpose. He suggested that building a base on the moon could serve as a modern equivalent of the Apollo program, rekindling patriotic unity and reinvigorating math and science education.
“Provide America the shared national project we badly need,” Ramaswamy wrote. He said Americans across the political spectrum are hungry for a reminder that the country has a greater purpose in the world than it has demonstrated so far this century. A moon base, he theorized, could even pave the way for breakthroughs like nuclear fusion that would power artificial intelligence without harmful consequences on Earth.
Whether Republicans embrace his warnings or his moonshot idea, Ramaswamy’s op-ed made clear he sees the future of conservatism as rooted in merit, ambition, and national purpose — not racial grievance or ideological extremism.
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