Vivek Ramaswamy said the country has a mental health crisis in response to the tragedy in Jacksonville, Florida — seemingly diminishing statements made by authorities that the victims were targeted because of their race.
Three Black people were shot and killed by a 21-year-old white gunman at a Dollar General store on Saturday. During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Dana Bash asked the 2024 Republican presidential candidate about his reaction to the incident that sent shock waves throughout the country.
“This should not be happening in the United States of America, and it is wrong,” Ramaswamy said on Sunday, a day after the shooting. “The reality is, we have a mental health epidemic in this country. There are reports that this particular individual, the perpetrator, was indeed evaluated for mental health deficiencies as well.”
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Jacksonville officials said the shooting was rooted in anti-Black racism. The AR-style rifle used by the gunman during the attack was painted with swastikas, and Sheriff T.K. Waters said he left manifestos that underscored a “disgusting ideology of hate.”
“The reality is we have created such a racialized culture in this country in the last several years that, right as the last few burning embers of racism were burning out, we have a culture in this country largely created by media and establishment and universities and politicians that throw kerosene on that racism,” Ramaswamy said.
His remarks on the program come after he compared Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Black woman and Democrat, to “modern grand wizards” of the Ku Klux Klan and likened white supremacy to a unicorn.
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“I’ve never once encountered that yet. I’m sure the boogeyman White Supremacist…
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