Washington: Three prominent Indian American Republican leaders—Bobby Jindal, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy—are taking aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running for president on the Democratic ticket. They have criticised her immigration, economic, and foreign policies, claiming they are fundamentally flawed.

Jindal's strong claims

Former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who served from 2008 to 2016, released a video ad through the America First Policy Institute, a political action committee. In it, he argues that Harris' Medicare plan will provide "gold-plated" healthcare to 12 million illegal immigrants. He warns that this will lead to an influx of illegal immigration into the U.S. “Don’t let your families and friends fall for the lies,” Jindal states in the video. 

After initially keeping a low profile and distancing himself from Trump during his 2016 campaign, Jindal is now openly supporting the former president and his policies.

Haley's concerns

Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina, also criticised Harris during an interview with Fox News. She expressed her strong preference for Trump in the upcoming election, saying, “When I look at the issues and the differences between the two candidates, there is no question that I want to see Donald Trump win this election.” 

Haley emphasised her belief that Harris does not view illegal immigrants as illegal and is in favor of providing them with free education, housing, and healthcare. She further claimed that Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, lack foreign policy experience, pointing out their involvement in the Iran deal and financing organisations that threaten America.

In a newly launched podcast on SiriusXM, Haley characterised the upcoming presidential election as potentially the "tightest election this century."

Ramaswamy's strong critique

Vivek Ramaswamy has emerged as one of Harris' fiercest critics among the three leaders. He has been actively campaigning for Trump across key battleground states, drawing large crowds to his rallies. In a recent Fox News interview, Ramaswamy dismissed Harris as a "radical liberal" who fails to deliver results and merely spreads lies on the campaign trail.

In addition to Jindal, Haley, and Ramaswamy, Kash Patel is another Indian American leader closely aligned with Trump. The former chief of staff to the acting defense secretary during the last days of the Trump administration, Patel has been working to rally support among Indian Americans in key battleground states. Reports suggest that Patel has ambitions to run the CIA if Trump is re-elected.

PTI